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Patrick Enos Jr.

Age : 28

Gender : Male

Race : Native Pacific Islander

Date : 12/20/2021

Location : Highway 11 near Kipimana Street

City : Keaʻau

County : Hawai‘i

State : Hawaii

Agency : Hawaiʻi Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Killed in crash during alleged police pursuit

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
The precise reason police allegedly initiated the pursuit has not been publicly disclosed. Enos’s sister said he had an outstanding bench warrant after missing a court date.
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EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 12/20/2021, 28-year-old Patrick Enos Jr. was driving on Highway 11 in the Keaʻau area of Hawaiʻi Island when, according to his family and at least one witness who later spoke with them, Hawaiʻi Police Department officers allegedly pursued his vehicle. The existence and circumstances of the alleged pursuit were not disclosed in the original public police account of the fatal crash.
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According to the publicly released police account, Enos was speeding southbound on Highway 11 when he entered the intersection near Kipimana Street against a red traffic signal and collided with another vehicle. Enos died in the crash. Nearly four years later, reporting by Hawaii News Now revealed that his family had been told by at least one witness that police were chasing Enos before the collision. The family maintains that the alleged pursuit was a major contributing factor in his death.
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The original public reporting therefore described Enos as a speeding driver who ran a red light and crashed, without disclosing the family's allegation that his driving occurred during an active police pursuit. By November 2025, the Hawaiʻi Police Department declined to answer questions about the alleged pursuit because litigation was ongoing, while Enos's attorney said investigators had provided the family and legal team with few details about what police did before the crash.
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Enos was a father of four. His family described him as someone who enjoyed hunting, fishing and repairing cars and who routinely helped other people even when he and his own family were struggling.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
1 Fatality. Injuries to the driver of the other vehicle were not established in the available reporting.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Enos's family said at least one witness told them that police were pursuing him before the fatal collision. His older sister, Patty Paiva, acknowledged that Enos should not have driven away from police but disputed the necessity of continuing a dangerous chase. The family questioned whether officers should have terminated the pursuit before it reached the circumstances that resulted in the fatal crash.
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Attorney Eric Seitz, representing the family, said the legal team still lacked critical information concerning why officers allegedly pursued Enos and why they continued the chase. Seitz specifically raised the issue of police pursuit policy, stating that officers should terminate a pursuit when continuing it creates excessive danger.
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DISPOSITION:
The circumstances and police conduct preceding Enos's death remained under investigation and litigation as of November 2025. Hawaiʻi Police Department declined to discuss the case because of the pending lawsuit. The Hawaiʻi Attorney General's Office had also been asked for information concerning its investigation, but no final public determination concerning police responsibility was reported.
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LITIGATION:
Enos's family filed litigation alleging that police conduct contributed to his fatal crash. Attorney Eric Seitz represented the family. As of November 2025, the lawsuit remained pending, with Seitz stating that the family wanted the matter moved toward trial or settlement and sought evidence necessary to determine whether police were legally responsible for Enos's death.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/11/12/family-questions-if-police-misconduct-led-deadly-2021-big-island-crash/
https://accidentdatacenter.com/roadway/highway-11-and-kipimana-street