A Hawaii judge gave the driver who killed a teenage girl in a crosswalk the maximum extended sentence, siding with prosecutors over the defense.

• Mitchell Miyashiro was sentenced to 20 years for the February 2023 hit-and-run that killed 16-year-old Sara Yara as she walked to school and injured her friend.
• The judge pointed to Miyashiro's history of over 160 traffic violations and repeated unlicensed driving going back decades as proof he was a danger to the public.
• The defense had asked for probation or a short jail term, citing remorse and an untreated sleep disorder as a factor in the crash; the judge rejected that request.
• The nearly four-year wait for sentencing was dragged out after the driver backed out of an expected plea deal, went to trial, then pleaded no contest, with sentencing delayed again over prosecutors' objections.
• The girl's death already led to safety changes in the area, including speed humps, raised crosswalks, and a red light camera, plus related changes in state law.

Outlook: The family says they can now move forward and bury her ashes, and plans to use the case to keep pushing for safer streets.