Driver found guilty of attempted murder in road rage-fueled triple stabbing

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A jury has found the man accused in a triple stabbing on the H-1 Freeway in 2016 guilty of attempted murder and two counts of assault.

Mark Char was accused of attacking the victims following a road rage incident.

Deputy Prosecutor Kyle Dowd said he was happy with the verdict.

“Mark Char’s conduct on the side of the freeway was not justified and it was unlawful. So it’s a just verdict," he said.

His lawyer said he will ask for a new trial and will consider an appeal.

“I’m shocked. That’s the only thing I’m going to say right now. I’m just shocked. I don’t believe it,” said attorney Keith Shigetomi.

“Clearly, the other side took a lot of aggressive action."

Earlier this week, Char himself took the stand and claimed that he stabbed the victims in self-defense.

He said he was driving home with his wife when a white sedan cut them off and slammed on its brakes on the H-1 Freeway near Waikele.

[Read more: In testimony, victim recalls road rage attack on H-1 Freeway that left 3 injured]

After the cars pulled over, Char initially used pepper spray on the driver.

But Char claimed the younger man chased him and started beating him up. That’s when Char said he pulled out a knife.

“When I felt the guys pounding me, punching me, and everything. I just took out the knife and I was trying to swing and stop the guys from attacking me," Char told the jury on Wednesday.

The driver of the sedan was critically injured after sustained five stab wounds. His passenger and a good Samaritan were also injured.

Victims and witnesses said that Char was combative and angry ― and that his actions could have easily left people dead.

Charles Hauhio, who stopped to help when he saw people were hurt, said one of the victims told him to stay away from the melee.

“He was like, ‘Don’t go there. Don’t go down. I just got stabbed.’ He showed me his hand. My thinking was, I’m still trying to go down and help and that’s when the older gentleman came and he’s like, ‘What? You, too? You, too?’” Hauhio said.

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