Kamalani Kalama
Crash Anniversary: May 5, 2013
REPRINTED FROM MADD HAWAII’S SPRING 2015 NEWSLETTER: The season of proms, graduations and summer are just around the corner and the following is a reminder that driving is a privilege and taking care of another person, especially a child, is a responsibility.
Jackie Kalama, the mother of 13-year-old Kamalani Kalama, who was killed May 5, 2013, at the hands of a drunk driver, shares her story with us. Kamalani was a bubbly teenager who enjoyed spending time with family and friends and whose love of ocean activities led her to join a paddling team. Her life was tragically cut short when she rode home from a paddling practice and dinner with her best friend and her friend’s father. Police reports indicate that the friend’s father had been drinking and crashed his car on the Pali highway. Kamalani and the driver died at the scene. Her mother tears up as she describes her loss. “Kamalani was my miracle baby. Never in all my life could I have imagined the day that my precious loved one would be taken from me. When you put your child in someone else’s care, you believe they will respect and uphold their responsibility.”
Jackie wants to share her story so that her beloved daughter’s death can help save the lives of others. She encourages every driver to stay sober and remember they have a responsibility to their passengers and fellow drivers. She also wants to remind young people to call their parents or guardians if the person driving them had been drinking or is impaired. She hopes parents will support their teens and pick them up without negative consequences thereby encouraging these healthy and lifesaving decisions.
As a way of honoring Kamalani’s life, her family and friends organized Team Kamalani at the September 2015 Walk Like MADD. Kamalani, just 13-years-old, was killed in 2013; if she was able to walk with us on Sept. 17, 2022, she would be 23 years old. She is one of the many reasons why we walk.
Kaulana Werner
Home City: Nanakuli Hawaii
Crash Anniversary: April 24, 2016
Kaulana Werner, 19 years old, was tragically killed on April 24, 2016, by a speeding, DUI driver, who fled the scene. HPD apprehended the 22-year-old driver about a half-mile from the crash site in Nanakuli.
Kaulana was a well-known and loved football player who played for the Nanakuli Hawks, Kamehameha Kapalama Warriors as well as the Sterling Kansas Warriors. Kaulana returned to Hawaii to help care for his parents. The evening of the crash, Kaulana told his parents he was going to a nearby park to play basketball, which was something he’s always done. Upon returning back home, he was walking on the side of the road across the street from his house when he was struck by a car driven by a drunk driver.
The 22-year-old hit-and-run driver had a .13 BAC at the time of the fatal crash. She was arrested and charged with Negligent Homicide, first degree, with a maximum of 10 years in prison. The Werner family is seeking the maximum justice for causing the death of their son, Kaulana.
PHOENIX HAUANIO
Home State: Hawaii
Crash Anniversary: February 14, 2015
On Valentine’s Day 2015 my 17 year old daughter, Phoenix, was killed by an underage drunk and drugged driver. Phoenix, her friend and the impaired driver died in the fiery crash. Bystanders tried to pull my daughter from the backseat of the Kia, but the car caught fire and my daughter burned to death in the wreckage.
No one knows the pain other than those who have lost a loved one to the actions of a drunk driver. There are many statistics and stories, but there is one thing that a person really needs to know and that is the sorrow of a mother who has lost her child due to drunk and drugged driving. The day Phoenix died, I felt it was my moral obligation to help spread awareness about the dangers of drunk and drugged driving, underage drinking, and parents and adults who serve alcohol to minors. Having the least amount to drink in your group, doesn’t make you a designated driver. One drink is one too many.
My daughter, Phoenix, lost her life because she made a mistake and got into a car with someone she barely knew. She got into a car with someone who said he was the designated driver and claimed to be sober. I talked to my children many times about not drinking and driving, but never about the importance of knowing the designated driver and knowing they had not been drinking alcohol and that they were sober.
It breaks my heart that Phoenix’s life was cut short. Phoenix was a happy and joyous soul. Her big brown eyes could melt your heart! Her name and memory is all I have left. My daughter’s name is Phoenix Hauanio and she will never be forgotten.
I want to prevent others from the heartbreak of losing a loved one. We can all do something to end drunk driving by speaking to as many people we can about not drinking and driving, helping hand out MADD information or even hiding lady bug rocks with secret awareness messages, as I do all in the name of Phoenix. Please, join us at the Walk Like MADD and walk to honor those who can no longer walk and encourage those who are learning to walk all over again. Together, we WILL make a difference….