NEED TO KNOW
- An emergency room doctor in Hawaii was killed in a wrong-way crash on Christmas Eve
- Dr. Judith “Judy” Fitzgerald, who worked at Hilo Benioff Medical Center, was remembered by Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda as a “pillar in our community in the health field”
- The other driver, 34-year-old Caitlin Smith, was initially arrested by police on suspicion of negligent homicide and later released
Hawai’i Island police arrested and later released a driver after a Christmas Eve crash that killed a longtime emergency room doctor.
Dr. Judith “Judy” Fitzgerald, 74, was driving a Mazda convertible west on Daniel K. Inouye Highway when a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction crossed the center line and struck her car around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24, police said in a Dec. 25 press release.
Fitzgerald was found unresponsive at the scene and taken to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 7:59 p.m., per police. The hospital confirmed in a post on social media that Fitzgerald was a longtime emergency room doctor there, adding that the “loss is deeply felt.”
“Throughout her career, Dr. Fitzgerald generously volunteered for numerous leadership roles and was a steadfast advocate for the remarkable progress and growth our healthcare community has achieved,” the post read.
“Her commitment to excellence, education, and patient care left a lasting legacy that will continue to influence our work and our mission.”
Hilo Benioff Medical Center
The other driver, whom the authorities identified as 34-year-old Caitlin Smith, of Hilo, sustained minor injuries, police said. She was initially arrested on suspicion of first-degree negligent homicide, operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant, and reckless driving, police said in the press release.
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Smith was released on Thursday, Dec. 25, pending further investigation after police conferred with the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, per the release. Smith is not accused of any wrongdoing at this time.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing and that they believe “speed, alcohol and/or drugs, and reckless driving were the primary factors in the crash.”
“She was a pillar in our community in the health field,” Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said of Dr. Fitzgerald, per Hawaii News Now. “To lose somebody like this tragically, it’s very sad for us.”
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