Mother of 4 killed in head-on collision on Hawaii Island – KHON2

Friends and family of Cassandra LynnEllis, also known as Cassie, are grieving after she was killed in a head-oncrash Sunday afternoon.

The 35-year-old mother of four was onher way to the beach when police say a black Jeep Renegade SUV crashed into herHonda Pilot.

Police say the crash happened on QueenKaahumanu Highway around 2:10 p.m. near the 90 mile marker.

Police say a 25-year-old Kamuela man wasdriving the Renegade when he passed a vehicle and struck Ellis car.

Two of her daughters, Taylor (15), andTrinity (10), were in the car. Taylors best friend Kawena Haserot (15) wasalso in the car.

Both Taylor and Kawena were taken toKona Hospital and later transported to Queens Medical Center on Oahu incritical condition.

Taylor and Trinitys father, DannyCampogan, said it was an airbag that saved Trinitys life. She was taken to KonaHospital and released.

Cassie was also taken to Kona Hospitalwhere she was pronounced dead at 8:26 p.m.

I know the car caught on fire andeverybody inside was unconscious, said Laurel Haserot, Kawenas mother. Therewere some aunties and uncles that stopped for the accident and I thank God forthem because they started pulling the girls out, breaking the windows with fireextinguishers, and getting the girls outotherwise they would be deadtoo.

Both Haserot and Campogan said their daughtersdont remember much of the crash.

And both suffered severe injuries andmight not be able to do the activities they love to do ever again.

Campogan said his daughter had a hole onthe side of her head. Doctors took a skin graph from her leg to make up for theskin on her head. She received more than 100 stitches and had bleeding in herhead.

She was excelling at everything, shehad the option to graduate a year early, her dad said.

Its only this morning that I told herthat her mom didnt make it, and that was probably the heaviest situation inthis whole thing, Campogan said.

Ellis also leaves behind a 2-year-olddaughter, Lucy.

Shes asking for her mommy and allI could tell her is, Shes sleeping, and that was yesterday and I dont knowwhat Im going to tell her today, said Lucys father and Ellis boyfriend JohnLim Jr.

Kawenas mother Laurel said her daughtermay not be able to swim ever again because she has a broken femur.

Where the accident happened is a notoriously deadly stretch of road, Haserot said. There are some blind hills and people are in a rush to get into town or to get to the airport and theyre not looking where theyre going and apparently this guy was also under the influence of something and unfortunately tragedy happened.

Friends and family say Ellis was abeautiful person inside and out and they are devastated someone who police saywas under the influence of an intoxicant took her away.

Her aunt, Joann Schaan wrote the following to KHON2:

Cassandra Lynn is a beautiful soul. Her happiness and sense of humor could light up any situation. She is the only child of Laura Bjur Matzen and Jim Ellis. She has lived in Hawaii (Kailua Kona) for almost 20 years and considers herself a true Hawaiian.

She has four beautiful daughters who are the delight of her life, Taylor, Lana, Trinity, and Lucy. She spent the first several years in Hawaii learning from the School of Hard Knocks. She took herself down to rock bottom and then lifted herself and her family out of the pit and has become a successful entrepreneur of Two Chicks Cleaning along with her best friends Leilani Alcain and Alicia Brunette.

She hangs with a great bunch of people who are her friends and they all provide mutual sober support. She has focused on loving life clean and serene and it has been a beautiful experience to see her blossom into such an intelligent loving woman.

This is a tragedy of epic proportions for her children and us and it certainly was not worth those last few drinks or hits or whatever her murderer had taken.

Policesay the driver of the Jeep Renegade was injured in the collision and was takento Kona Community Hospital for treatment.

Thedriver was later arrested for Negligent Homicide, operating a vehicle under theinfluence of an intoxicant, Reckless Driving, three counts of NegligentInjury.

He waslater released pending further investigation.

Policebelieve that speed and drugs are factors in the collision.

Ellis family is angry because Ellis did so much to try and keep children away from the drugs.

Cassie had a fishing tournament she facilitatedevery year, Keiki Come First Tournament, where it was kids against drugs andevery year they would hold a fishing tournament on small boats and every yearshe was the facilitator, explained Campogan.

Im really not happy that guy is outwalking the streets right now. My daughter is in the hospital for days, herfriend is in the hospital for days, her mom is never going to live again andthis guy is out living his life again, said Haserot.

Campogan said a memorial was put inplace at the scene of the crash. His 13 and 10-year-old daughter went to put upa cross for their mother.

The family is pleading for people to think twice before getting behind the wheel while under the influence.

That driver ruined our lives, and its wrong. We need to all be better than that, said Campogan.