FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HILO, Hawaiʻi — Zachery Winston, a 34-year-old Hawaiʻi Island resident, was killed in a head-on collision on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway on May 5, 2026. His family has come forward publicly, in their time of deep loss and grief, to call on government officials to enact immediate safety reforms. The stretch of highway where Zachery was killed has been the site of three fatal head-on collisions involving passing maneuvers in just over two years. Zachery’s mother, Lisa Paddleford, and brother, Ryan Winston, are speaking out in hopes of preventing future tragedies on this deadly two-lane stretch of highway.
“I am totally broken,” said Lisa Paddleford. “Zachery was my oldest son. Our family will never be the same. We were shocked and saddened to learn that his death occurred in the same part of the highway where three others have died and where several people have been seriously injured. I pray that no other family will be forced to experience the grief, loss, and helplessness that we have felt since receiving the call that no mother should ever receive.”
Mrs. Paddleford said her son’s love for others and his compassionate spirit motivate her to speak publicly. “We hope that immediate action will be taken to address the dangerous conditions on this highway. Zachery was the kind of person who always looked out for others. I know he would want this horrific tragedy to precede positive change—change that will keep his friends, neighbors, and island community safer.”
Zachery’s brother, Ryan Winston, added, “Zach was my big brother and best friend. To my kids, he will forever be Uncle Zach. He loved people and lived life to the fullest. My plea is that our loss will shine a light on a stretch of highway long overdue for safety changes. By speaking out, I am doing what my brother would have wanted. Zach would have wanted something positive to come out of this tragedy.”
Jeffrey Foster, a Hawai’i Island attorney who represents the family, echoes their call for change:
“Saddle Road is one of the most dangerous roadways in Hawaiʻi. Despite the danger of a winding, two-lane highway with a 60 mph speed limit, passing is still allowed on the very stretch of highway where Zachery was killed,” Foster said. “Everyone on this island knows the fear of driving that road—the passing, the weather, the near-misses, and the fatalities. My wife and I experience this fear every time we encounter a two-lane section of Saddle Road when driving from Kona to Hilo for our children’s sports, hula, and school activities.”
“Our Hawaiʻi Island community has grown accustomed to hearing about horrific crashes and loss of life on Saddle Road. We all know someone who has been in a crash or nearly struck head-on by a passing vehicle. My office has represented too many families devastated by preventable accidents on this unforgivable highway. How many more people must die before something is done? The time for impactful change is now. I am grateful that Lisa and Ryan have put a face and a voice to this danger. I am hopeful that Zachery’s death will be much more than another statistic.”
The two-lane stretch where Zachery was killed has seen repeated fatal head-on collisions because of passing maneuvers in recent years:
October 23, 2025: A head-on collision near mile marker 25 killed a 47-year-old Kailua-Kona woman and her three-week-old infant granddaughter and seriously injured four others after a pickup truck overtook several vehicles.
March 16, 2024: An 80-year-old Keauhou woman was killed, and three others were seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash at mile marker 25, when a sedan crossed the centerline while passing.
In honoring Zachery’s memory, his family is deeply committed to advocating for safety changes in order to prevent future preventable tragedies on a stretch of highway that has already claimed far too many lives.
