HONOLULU (KHON2) — After a sudden loss, a family’s struggle through heartache continues to fuel their fight to protect others in the community. Drivers on Kapiolani Boulevard have seen the signs remembering Sara Yara. Today, her family dedicated a special gift in her honor.

The mother of McKinley High School student killed by a speeding driver said not a day goes by without thinking about her daughter.

“We talk about Sara every day. We grieve or cry. As a mother, you don’t plan to bury your child before yourself. But, now it helped me to look forward to what I can do for the community,” stated Sara’s mother Chevylyn Borce.

Two years later, Yara’s family and friends dedicated a mural in her honor. She was hit while walking across a marked crosswalk by an unlicensed driver on her way to school on Feb. 15, 2023.

46-year-old Mitchel Miyashiro was charged with Negligent Homicide in the First Degree, Collisions Involving Death or Serious Bodily Injury, Collisions Involving Bodily Injury and Driving Without a License.

“We’re doing a tribute to her favorite flower, which is a cherry blossom, and her dragonfly that she designed in high school before she passed,” Borce said.

The mural was painted in light and dark purples, representing royalty, with a design replicating Yara’s dragonfly – a picture she created for her last homework assignment in computer class, according to her mother. The mural is one of many ways Yara’s legacy lives on as her story continues helping improve road safety in the area for others.

“The bumps definitely help to create that awareness, the red light cameras has really proven to kind of deter people or to make them think twice when they want to speed,” stated Karen Cheung, Ward Village Moms Founder.

Ward Village Moms has been working with Borce and the City of Honolulu to improve road safety infrastructure and their efforts are paying off.

DTS has plans to install a green arrow traffic signal for drivers turning left at the intersection of Kapiolani and Kamakee, the department said in a statement.

The mural is being funded by Better Block Hawaii, an organization striving to enhance streetscapes through community led art and transportation safety demonstration projects. It has dozens of art painted on traffic signal boxes across the island, according to the organization.

“Reminders of not only great tragedy but also an opportunity for those to mourn and to heal from such tragedy as well,” said Justin Menina, Better Block Hawaii Project Coordinator. “They can highlight the history of a community that are often forgotten.”

Yara’s mom hopes drivers on Kapiolani Boulevard passing Kamakee Street see Sara’s mural and think about slowing down to avoid tragedies like what happened to their family. While road safety improves, Borce said she and the community have yet to feel closure and justice.

“We want better enforcement. What that means is that we want unlicensed drivers to be prosecuted in a timely manner and we want them to be detached from their vehicle once they have been cited,” Cheung said.