At the State Capitol this week, the family of 21-year-old Koali Denning-Ring pressed lawmakers to crack down on unlicensed drivers after he was killed in a head-on crash in Haleiwa on Sept. 24, 2025. House Bill 2589 cleared its first hurdle in the House Transportation Committee with amendments and was renamed to honor him and another young victim. Relatives told legislators they want repeat offenders held fully accountable so other families are not forced to endure the same kind of loss.
What the bill would change
The proposal would reclassify a second conviction for driving without a license within five years as a Class A felony if the defendant's actions lead to another person's death, and it would let courts order forfeiture of the vehicle used in repeated offenses, as outlined by LegiScan. Originally introduced this session as "Sara's Law," the bill has since been amended to add the names of additional victims. Supporters argue that tougher penalties and the threat of losing a vehicle are needed to deter drivers who keep getting behind the wheel without a license.
Crash that set the push in motion
Denning-Ring was on his way to work when another vehicle crossed the center line and slammed into his car on Joseph P. Leong Highway, just south of Emerson Road, according to reporting by KHON2 (via Yahoo). Police later opened a negligent-homicide investigation into the collision. His death reignited the North Shore family's calls for lawmakers to close what they describe as dangerous gaps in existing penalties for unlicensed drivers.
Family brings names to the Capitol
Denning-Ring's relatives told legislators they hope to channel their grief into concrete change that might spare other families similar heartbreak. "He died on Sept. 24, 2025, but every morning when I wake up, I relive it again," his mother, Shannon Denning, said at the hearing, according to Hawaii News Now. Family members also said the accused driver has not offered an apology and argued that stiffer penalties are needed to provide a sense of accountability.
Legal pushback and constitutional questions
Some who testified were not convinced that the bill, as written, would hold up in court. "We do not believe that would withstand judicial scrutiny and constitutional scrutiny, that the nexus is not strong enough," Hayley Cheng of the Office of the Public Defender told lawmakers, according to Hawaii News Now. The Public Defender's office also noted that prosecutors already bring charges such as manslaughter, negligent homicide and attempted murder in serious crash cases and urged legislators to think carefully about how the proposed new felony category would interact with those existing statutes.
Next steps for the bill
With the Transportation Committee vote in the books, HB2589 now heads to the House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs Committee, where it must be heard before it can move forward. Supporters say they plan to stay visible and vocal as the measure winds through the Capitol. The bill text specifies that it would take effect upon approval and ties sentencing to existing Class A felony provisions, a shift legal experts say could face constitutional challenges if it becomes law, as outlined by LegiScan. As the session continues, lawmakers will be weighing emotional appeals from victims' families against constitutional concerns and the tools prosecutors already have on the books.
