Man with 164 citations charged in hit-and-run death of McKinley student

The 46-year-old man who had no driver’s license and 164 citations when he was arrested for the hit-and-run incident that killed a McKinley High School student on Feb. 15 was charged today.

Mitchel Yoshiji Miyashiro was charged with negligent homicide in the first degree in connection with the hit-and-run death of 16-year-old Sara Yara in a marked crosswalk on Kapiolani Boulevard, according to a release from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney.

Miyashiro was charged by information, a process in which a prosecutor presents written information to a judge who then decides if the charges are warranted, according to the DPA.

Miyashiro is also charged with collisions involving death or serious bodily injury, collisions involving bodily injury, and driving without a license.

“We would like to thank Sara Yara’s family and the broader community for their patience while waiting for these charges,” said Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm, in a statement. “As much as we would like to file charges quickly, it is more important to get the job done right than to get it done fast. Negligent homicide cases require a lot of investigation to be done and forensic evidence to be collected and analyzed. We must work with police to build a solid case before we file charges, and we believe we have done that in this case. We thank HPD for its tireless work.”

Miyashiro had 164 prior traffic citations, according to state court records, and pleaded not guilty to driving without a license nine days before he allegedly killed Yara and hurt another female student who was in a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Kapiolani Boulevard and Kamakee Street near the school’s athletic field shortly after 6:40 a.m. Feb. 15.

Miyashiro turned himself into Honolulu police at about 6:30 p.m. the next day and was arrested.

He is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail.