Hawaii woman charged in deadly head-on crash that killed Spring woman on vacation

Tuesday, July 21, 2020
MAUI, Hawaii (KTRK) -- A 24-year-old woman has been charged in a deadly head-on crash in Hawaii last year that killed a Spring woman and injured her family after their vacation.

According to officials in Maui, Kailey Duarte has been charged with manslaughter and four counts of negligent injury.

The family was driving to the airport on June 16, 2019, when investigators say Duarte hit them head on.

READ MORE: Spring woman killed in crash while on vacation in Hawaii

Teresa Pham was killed and her fiancé was hospitalized.

Police in Maui said Duarte was driving on a two-way road when she crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed into Pham's car.

Pham's cousin, Bob Schranz, who used to work in the front office of the Houston Rockets and Comets, suffered severe vertebrae injuries.

His wife injured her hip and pelvis, and their 14-year-old daughter suffered extensive internal bleeding.

Bob and his daughter had to spend a night on one island while his wife was on another because she needed more surgeries.

"Motor vehicle crashes that involve a fatality are very complex and time consuming investigations," wrote Lt. William Hankins, commander of the Traffic Division for the Maui Police Department. "Our team of investigators spent countless hours to conduct a complete and detailed reconstruction of this crash to determine the speed of the vehicles involved, as well as all factors that contributed to this preventable crash and untimely death of Teresa Pham."

At the time, friends, family and even strangers donated thousands to a GoFundMe page to help reunite the Schranzes and get them all home.

Duarte's bond is set at $234,000.
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