Pāhoa, Hawai’i Island – In a shocking turn of events, 40-year-old Spencer Kamuela Young Gun Chun of Kurtistown was arrested and charged for reportedly intentionally striking a pedestrian with his vehicle in the parking lot of a shopping center in Pāhoa. The incident occurred on Saturday, January 25, 2025, around 7:00 PM, triggering an immediate investigation by local authorities.
According to reports from the Hawai’i Island police, a patrol officer observed unusual traffic congestion at one of the shopping center entrances. Upon further investigation, the officer encountered two males, one of whom was later identified as the victim, a 39-year-old man, who was crossing the designated crosswalk.
As the officer investigated further, it was determined that a 39-year-old male was crossing a crosswalk to enter the shopping center, he stopped as there was a white Jeep on the roadway, the jeep stopped and the operator (Chun) and the victim gestured to each other, and the victim then began to cross the crosswalk. The Jeep turned towards the victim and accelerated directly towards him, striking him and knocking him to the ground.
Police reviewed surveillance footage from the shopping center, which corroborated the victim’s account, confirming that the Jeep appeared to have intentionally collided with the man.
Emergency medical services swiftly transported the victim to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he received treatment for minor injuries before being discharged later that evening.
The vehicle involved, a white Jeep, was confiscated as evidence, pending a search warrant for a mechanical inspection.
Following discussions with Hawai’i County Prosecutors, Chun was charged on January 27 with second-degree assault and operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license. His bail was set at $21,000, and he is scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Tuesday, January 28.
The Area I Criminal Investigation Section is actively continuing their investigation into the incident. Authorities are appealing to the public for assistance, urging anyone who may have witnessed the events that led to the victim’s injuries to reach out to the Hawai’i Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.
