Victim’s family seeks traffic changes 100 days after fatal Makiki hit-and-run

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Friday marked 100 days since Cruz Eddie Ochoa Jr. was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Makiki, and his family is using the milestone to advocate for changes they hope will prevent another tragedy.

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The Ochoa family has launched a petition urging city and state officials to install speed humps and other traffic-calming measures near Wilder Avenue and Keeaumoku Street, an area they say has long struggled with speeding concerns.

“I felt like my heart has been ripped out in half,” said Sepe Ochoa, Cruz’s mother. “It is such a big void.”

Police said Cruz Eddie Ochoa Jr. died in April after being struck in a hit-and-run crash on Kewalo Street.

One hundred days later, his family said the grief remains overwhelming.

“What happened to us is something that we don’t want for any other families or anybody,” Sepe said. “Our family wanted to bring this to the community to see what can be done to make that change.”

In addition to speed humps, the family is also calling for improvements to visibility in the area.

“The petition is mainly for the speed humps and also hopefully getting them to take a look at some of the trees down there too, right off the freeway,” said Danielle Cabalis, Ochoa’s girlfriend. “It’s really overgrown and you can’t really see some of the signs.”

The family has brought its concerns to community meetings, highlighting speeding and visibility issues they believe make the neighborhood dangerous.

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Emotions ran high during Friday night’s Makiki Neighborhood Board meeting as residents and board members voiced support for the family’s efforts, saying concerns about traffic safety in the area have been raised repeatedly.

“It upsets me to a point of hostility when things like this happen,” said Makiki Neighborhood Board member Adam Kirchmann. “I’m going to send a letter to make sure proper communication is being heard on a community level.”

The family said the state Department of Transportation informed them that traffic studies and speed data would likely be necessary before any roadway improvements could move forward.

Still, Cruz’s loved ones say they fear another tragedy could occur if changes are not made.

“Standing out there for five minutes, you can see how fast people are driving up and down that road, especially because it comes right off the freeway,” Cabalis said. “It’s scary to see, and we would hate for this to happen to someone else.”

The family said the petition has already gained support from community members and hopes it will lead to meaningful safety improvements in Makiki before another life is lost.

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Click here to view the petition.