Alcohol believed factor in
fatal hit, run

Senta Scarborough
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 15, 2005 12:00 AM

Police said they believe alcohol was a factor in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 35-year-old Mesa man riding a motorized skateboard early Wednesday.

Muneerah Ali Al-Tarrah, 22, was driving a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee that struck Todd L. De Gain, who was on Alma School Road about 500 feet south of Baseline Road at 2:30 a.m., Mesa police Sgt. Chuck Trapani said.

The driver of a red Mustang, Reem Ahmad Bishara, also struck the skateboard, damaging her car, police said. advertisement

Police said they aren't clear whether De Gain was crossing the road or riding down the street.

A witness called police after hearing the crash, seeing De Gain in the roadway and watching the Jeep Grand Cherokee leave the scene and strike a light pole, police said. The witness also reported seeing the Mustang closely following the Cherokee. Both cars initially stopped at the crash and then fled, court records show.

Despite a large hole in her windshield and the victim's blood on the car, Al-Tarrah denied hitting De Gain but admitted striking the light pole, court records show.

Police said Al-Tarrah and Bishara, an Arizona State University student, were traveling together at the time of the fatal crash. Both are Kuwaiti citizens. Al-Tarrah attended ASU last semester.

Officers arrested Al-Tarrah on suspicion of felony leaving the scene of a fatal accident, failing to stay at fatal injury accident and extreme DUI. An initial alcohol breath test showed she registered higher than the extreme DUI legal limit of 0.15 blood alcohol content, police said.

Police booked Bishara, 19, of Phoenix, on suspicion of leaving the scene of a fatal accident and failing to stay at a fatal injury scene, underage consumption and DUI. Both leaving the scene of a fatal accident and failing to

stay with a fatal injury are Class 4 felonies. Penalities for a non-dangerous Class 4 felony starts at probation to 3¾ years in prison.

An off-duty Mesa officer saw debris falling off the Jeep Grand Cherokee and stopped the Cherokee and the Mustang about a mile away, Trapani said.

Investigators obtained a warrant Wednesday afternoon and searched both vehicles.

De Gain was riding illegally on the road, which has a posted speed limit of 45 mph. Motorized scooters can only be driven on roads with speed limits of 30 mph or less, according to city code.

The accident closed the intersection of Baseline and Alma School roads through much of the morning.

De Gain's family declined comment Wednesday, but a woman at De Gain's home said he was a "wonderful person, loved by a lot of people."

The incident is Mesa's 49th traffic fatality and the 46th fatal crash this year.

This year, the city broke its record for fatalities, which occurred in 1996 with 39 deaths in 32 crashes.