Kurtistown DUI Suspect Allowed to Live in Florida Before Hilo Trial

A Big Island judge has ruled that the man accused of killing 21-year-old Maxwell Robertson Sherwood in a drunk-driving crash last year can remain in Florida rather than return to Hawaii ahead of his trial, even after he missed two scheduled court hearings and left the state without formal permission. Dallas Brooks is charged with first-degree negligent homicide and driving under the influence in the May 16, 2025 crash near Orchidland Drive and 36th Avenue in Kurtistown.

According to Hawaii News Now, court records show Brooks initially left Hawaii without formal permission from the court. His attorney, Keith Shigetomi, said notifying the court of out-of-state travel was not a previously set condition of his release, and Brooks believed permission had already been granted for his departure. The outlet reports Brooks left the islands amid a divorce and unstable housing and employment.

Records cited by the station also indicate Brooks was allegedly seen buying beer from a convenience store two months after the crash, then driving away. Circuit Judge Peter Kubota ultimately allowed Brooks to stay in Florida until the start of his trial, which is likely to begin in February, per the same report.

Missed Hearings Preceded the Ruling

Brooks failed to appear in Hilo Circuit Court for scheduled hearings on June 12 and June 26, 2026, according to statements from the victim's family and court records cited by Hawaii News Now's reporting partners. He later attended a hearing virtually in July, according to court records referenced in the same coverage.

The case traces back to the night of the crash, when, according to the Hawaiʻi Police Department, an eastbound 2010 Jeep Wrangler driven by Brooks struck Sherwood at approximately 7:22 p.m. on May 16, 2025. A witness told police that multiple vehicles had swerved to avoid hitting Sherwood, who was in the roadway and not in a marked crosswalk, in an area of Kurtistown that lacks streetlights and designated sidewalks. Sherwood was taken by ambulance to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m., less than 30 minutes after emergency calls came in.

From Release to Indictment

Police released Brooks from custody the day after the crash, pending further investigation and after conferring with the Hawaii County Prosecutor's Office. Five months later, a Hilo grand jury indicted him on the negligent homicide and DUI charges. Court documents cited by Dillon Ancheta's reporting listed his blood alcohol level at 0.15, nearly double the 0.08 legal limit. Bail was initially set at $100,000, but supervised release was granted over prosecutors' objections.

Under Hawaii Revised Statutes § 707-702.5, first-degree negligent homicide is normally a Class B felony carrying up to 10 years in prison. But a 2022 state law, detailed by Big Island Now, elevates the charge to a Class A felony punishable by up to 20 years without probation when a driver is highly intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher, the threshold prosecutors say applies in Brooks's case.

A Mother's Grief Turns to Advocacy

Sherwood's mother, Anjela Robertson, has said she thinks about her son every day. She has launched a petition and public advocacy campaign, hosted on Change.org, calling on state lawmakers to enact mandatory minimum prison sentences for negligent homicide and impaired driving in Hawaii. Robertson has said her son's story needs to be heard, and she plans to continue pursuing justice for him. Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawaii has voiced support for her in that pursuit, while Makena Young has said consistent communication and victim support are important throughout the court process.

Part of a Rising Toll on Big Island Roads

The crash that killed Sherwood marked Hawaiʻi Island's 13th official traffic fatality of 2025, compared with 16 recorded across Hawaii County at the same point in 2024, according to the Hawaiʻi Police Department. Traffic deaths have continued climbing since then: island fatalities reached 19 by early August 2026, prompting Mayor Kimo Alameda to request state law enforcement assistance for islandwide highway enforcement.

Brooks remains in Florida under supervised release as he awaits trial, which is likely to begin in February. For Robertson and her advocates, the outcome of that trial, and the broader push for tougher sentencing laws, remains an open and closely watched chapter in a case that has already tested the boundaries of Hawaii's pretrial supervision system.