A grieving mom’s mission to save lives on Hawaii’s roadways continues

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The mother of a young woman killed in a DUI crash is pleading with drivers to be responsible.
Loved ones of Azalia Park are planning a rally on December 21st, the anniversary of her death at the intersection where she was struck in Halawa nearly four years ago.
The 21-year-old was crossing the street when she was hit outside Aloha Stadium.
The driver, Jayson Abad, actually had a green light, and his blood alcohol level was only slightly above the legal limit.
He left the scene but returned — and was ultimately sentenced to six months in prison.
Park’s family says that punishment did not fit the crime.
“You know, for Thanksgiving, that was the last holiday that I celebrated with Azalea because she didn’t make it to Christmas, and so yesterday, I couldn’t even get out of bed until after one because I didn’t want to face the day. I didn’t want to be around people, and that’s what life has been like since,” Chanda Park, mother of Azalia, said.
“Don’t wait till it happens to your child or your loved one to make a change and want to make a change in others.”
Park believes stricter penalties are needed to prevent drunk driving and is advocating for federal legislation to install blood alcohol ignition locks on all new vehicles.
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