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Hauula Stunned After 2 Teen Mourners Die at Roadside Memorial

by Stephen Florino

The words on signs left along Kamehameha Highway in Hauula show how much they were loved, and how much they'll be missed.

The community is mourning the loss of four young people killed in two separate crashes at the same spot in less than 24 hours.

The latest crash happened Saturday night, when a car plowed into a group of people at a roadside memorial for two people killed there in a crash early Saturday morning.

"I knew her since I was little," said one friend. "Just really shocking."

The victims in the latest crash were identified as 20-year old Summer Lynn Mau, and 16-year old Orem Kauvaka.

Friends say Mau was a positive, outgoing, happy girl who never missed a Kahuku football game. She worked at the polynesian cultural center.

"She was always joking around at work," said a friend. "Sometimes she would get us to do her job so, she's very funny. I loved her."

Kauvaka was mourning the loss of his best friend, Pepe Naupoto, who died in the early morning crash.

"They were drinking kava over there with just the boys," said Olini Maile, Naupoto's aunt.

Maile described being on an emotional roller coaster. She thought Kauvaka, known to friends as Benson, was with her nephew in the early morning crash. She said he was the first one to come to her home to tell her that Naupoto was killed.

"We were happy that Benson was okay, that he wasn't involved," said Maile. "They would hang out at the park, they come here, go to the house, but very nice boys. So unfortunate this happen to them."

Now they must mourn the two best friends. And the tight knit community must grieve for the end of four young lives.

"People need to be more cautious on the roads, cause they're taking other people's families away," said one friend.