Actor died after Las Vegas-based medical transport company dropped him, lawsuit alleges

A Las Vegas-based medical transport company is accused of dropping actor and sumo wrestler Taylor Tuli Wily while he was in a wheelchair in 2023, causing fatal injuries when Wily hit his head on the pavement, according to a lawsuit filed by his estate.

Wily, who appeared as a confidential informant on reboots of “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.,” died June 20, 2024, in Hurricane, Utah, according to multiple media reports. He was 56.

A five-page complaint filed Sept. 26 in District Court alleges Wily died as a direct result of the “severe” injuries he suffered after he was being loaded onto a non-medical transport van owned by GMTCare, LLC, on Oct. 3, 2023, in Las Vegas.

According to the complaint, the vehicle’s ramp failed, causing Wily to fall from a platform and the back of his head to strike the pavement.

In addition to Wily’s estate, the complaint also lists widow Halona Wily, daughter TulaLagalaga Wily and son YoungAsia Wily as plaintiffs being represented by Richard Young of the Las Vegas-based Richard Harris Law Firm. Young could not be reached for comment.

Representatives for GMTCare did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

The cause and manner of Wily’s death have not been publicly reported. Katie England, a public information officer for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, the agency that oversees the state’s Office the Medical Examiner, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal such information could not be released to the media.

“Records from the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner are considered confidential under the Utah Medical Examiner Act,” England said in an email, adding death records released by state officials can only be released to next of kin, legal representatives, attending physicians or law enforcement.

According to an Associated Press story about Wily’s death, Wily was born in Hawaii as Teila Tuli. He played Kamekona Tupuola on “Hawaii Five-0” from 2010 through 2020, a role that made him a fan favorite. He continued in the same role with the reboot of “Magnum P.I.” Wily also had minor roles in other works, such as a hotel worker in the 2008 comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” according to his IMDB page.

Before acting, Wily was also a well-known sumo wrestler.

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky. The Associated Press contributed to this report.