Hilo judge lowers bail to $15,000 in deadly Pahoa DUI case

A Hilo judge cut bail to $15,000 for Kade Smith, the Puna man charged in a fatal DUI crash on Kahakai Boulevard in Hawaiian Beaches that killed Korey Palmerton of Pāhoa. Smith posted bond the next day.

The case stems from a collision on June 3, 2026, on Kahakai Boulevard in Pāhoa, where Hawaii Island police said emergency crews responded shortly before 5:30 p.m. and Palmerton, 30, was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. at Hilo Benioff Medical Center. Police identified the crash as a fatal traffic collision between a motor vehicle and a motorcycle, and the victim was identified as Korey Palmerton of Pāhoa.

Smith, 36, of Puna, was charged with manslaughter and first-degree negligent homicide, along with additional offenses tied to the crash. The County of Hawaii Office of the Prosecuting Attorney said Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen announced Smith’s arrest and charges after the collision in Hawaiian Beaches. Hawaii Tribune-Herald also identified Smith as the driver of a sedan involved in the crash that killed a motorcyclist.

The bail reduction marks a sharp drop from the amount first set in court. Local reporting said prosecutors initially set bail at $553,050 before a Hilo District Court judge later reduced it to $350,000 in an earlier proceeding. In the related court action, the bail was then lowered again to $15,000, a level far more familiar to people who watch pretrial release decisions than the six-figure figures often associated with serious felony charges.

In plain English, bail is not a fine or a sentence. It is a court-set amount meant to keep a defendant coming back for hearings while the case moves forward. A judge can change that amount as the matter is reviewed, which is what happened here. The lower figure meant Smith was able to post bond and leave custody the following day.

The case has drawn attention because the charges and the outcome of the bail hearing do not always move at the same pace. A deadly crash on a Pāhoa road can leave the public expecting the highest possible hold on a defendant, but Hawaii’s court system still allows judges to revisit release conditions and set new terms as the case proceeds.