Kona grand jury indicts Ocean View man in fatal pedestrian crash

A Kona grand jury has turned a fatal Old Kona Airport crash into a felony prosecution, indicting Ocean View resident Janne Labin on manslaughter, first-degree negligent homicide and driving under the influence after Donald Tibbitts was killed. The case now carries the weight of a formal criminal proceeding, not just a roadside investigation, and it has renewed concern over pedestrian safety in a place where walkers, drivers and unfinished surfaces meet in close quarters.

Police said the crash happened May 30 on the Old Kona Airport roadway in Kailua-Kona, when Labin was driving a white 2017 Toyota Tacoma Kona-bound and veered off the paved portion of the road onto an unfinished gravel area. The truck struck Tibbitts, who was walking south on the unpaved portion of the former runway area. Tibbitts was first taken by ambulance to Kona Community Hospital, then airlifted to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, where he died June 4.

The Hawai‘i Police Department said Labin was arrested the day of the crash and initially charged June 1 with operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant, first-degree negligent injury and reckless driving after consulting with the Hawai‘i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. Police identified Labin as 23 at the time of arrest, while later court reporting identified him as 24. The grand jury indictment was served June 17, and Labin was being held at the Kealakehe police station after reportedly being unable to post $150,000 bail.

The new charges raise the stakes sharply. Under state law, manslaughter and first-degree negligent homicide involving a vehicle and intoxication are both Class B felonies, and a manslaughter conviction can carry up to 10 years in prison. Labin cannot be convicted of both counts for the same death, but the indictment gives prosecutors a much more serious case than the original arrest.

The crash has also refocused attention on the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area, a county-managed site built on a former landing strip and used heavily by pedestrians and recreation users. The mix of paved roadway, unpaved runway sections and vehicle traffic has long made the area a tricky one, especially after dark. This case now stands as a stark example of how a single roadway departure, if paired with alleged impairment, can turn a familiar Kona corridor into a deadly scene.