HONOLULU (KHON2) — A Hauula family is grieving the loss of a 25-year-old man killed in a car crash in Indiana. His father said Kapono Wood was turning his life around after a troubled childhood when tragedy struck.
Wreckage from the crash scene shows the top of Kapono Wood’s car completely sheared off. Police in Frankfort, Indiana said a semi-tractor trailer was crossing the road to make a left turn when the two vehicles crashed.
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According to the Frankfort Police Department, a semi-truck was crossing State Road 28 southbound on 200 West when a passenger vehicle struck it, driving under the truck. Police said there were no skid marks.
“He never saw the semi-truck that was making a left-hand turn, so he struck the trailer of the semi-truck and went underneath,” said his father Tony Wood.
His father said Kapono had just gotten off work and was on his way to meet some friends. Kapono moved to Indiana to be with his brother and to get a fresh start in life.
“He was smart enough to recognize when he needed help, he was smart enough to recognize that the environment that he found himself in was not very good,” said Tony.
Tony and his wife adopted Kapono and his sister when he was 10 years old, from what Tony describes as a horrible childhood.
“I can’t go too much into it, just say it was horrific,” he said.
And yet as he grew up, his father said the Kahuku graduate was one of the kindest, gentlest people you could meet.
“This kid was infectious. I mean he was always smiling, always laughing. Always trying to get everybody around him smiling and laughing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him lose his temper,” said Tony.
Kapono had grown up as part of a large family because Tony and his wife adopted eight kids and fostered more than a hundred others. The household is devastated.
“You wish you could’ve told him you loved him, you wish you could’ve gave him a hug, you wish you could’ve seen him one last time, but we can’t,” said Tony.
Police said that investigators have determined that the truck driver is at fault.
“What they do know is the semi driver failed to yield the right of way so at this point in our investigation, that driver is at fault,” said Chief Scott Shoemaker of the Frankfort Police Department.
Kapono was taken to IU Frankfort Hospital but was later pronounced dead.
The driver of the semi-truck was uninjured.
Police requested a crash reconstruction and the investigation continues.
A Gofundme has been set up to assist his parents, Tony and Joedi, with expenses.
