Teen Claims Man Was Already Dead At Time Of Crash

nbc4 Columbus ^ | 9-8-07 | staff

[kiki04]

Teen Claims Man Was Already Dead At Time Of Crash

Friday, Sep 07, 2007

WHITEHALL, Ohio -- A local teenager is trying to clear her name after being connected to a fatal hit-and-run crash.

The suspect spoke exclusively to NBC 4's Lauren Diedrich about the moments that changed her life.

During the early morning hours on Sunday, a man was hit while riding his bicycle on East Main Street near the Interstate 270 bridge on Columbus' east side.

Tina Maharath, 16, was behind the wheel of the vehicle that hit him. But Maharath claims the man, 32-year-old Andres Gonzalez, had already been hit and killed.

"I was on my way home from hanging out with friends and I hit something. So I looked in the rearview mirror and I noticed it was a guy," she said.

Too scared to stop, Maharath said, she drove home. Days later, she surrendered to police.

"At first, I didn't want to tell the truth about what happened if someone else had already hit and killed him, which is what happened," she said.

But police won't confirm her story, only saying that Maharath is a person of interest and could face several charges.

Police wouldn't say whether any other motorists may have hit Gonzalez.

"I didn't know … I really did not see him. I really did not see him until the last minute," she said.

Now it's up to police to determine who was behind the wheel of the vehicle that killed Gonzalez.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Sounds like a made up story to me. She had better hope there are two sets of tire tracks on the dead guy’s clothes.

[muawiyah]

We've had such things happen around the DC area just about every year ever since forever.

Typically there are more than 2 sets of tracks ~ sometimes 10, maybe 20. Depends on where and what time of day.

Last thing you want to be is a pedestrian on an Interstate.

[doc1019]

The ole’ classic “he was already dead when I killed him” defense. ;-)

[Pontiac]

During the early morning hours on Sunday, a man was hit while riding his bicycle on East Main Street near the Interstate 270 bridge on Columbus' east side.

Tina Maharath, 16, "I was on my way home from hanging out with friends and I hit something. So I looked in the rearview mirror and I noticed it was a guy,"

I guess I am old fashioned and I have to wonder what a 16 year old is doing driving home in the “early morning hours from hanging out with friends”.

Her parents might have something to learn from this.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

“I guess I am old fashioned and I have to wonder what a 16 year old is doing driving home in the “early morning hours from hanging out with friends”.

Color me prejudice. But in this part of the world, nobody can get a driver’s license until they are 18 years old. Kids 16 years old are still children.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

First, the late Mr. Gonzalez wasn't on the interstate; he was on East Main Street near the interstate bridge.

While I don't doubt it's possible for one person to run over and kill a bicyclist who is then run over by a second vehicle, my b.s. detector is alarming because (1) the driver who claims to be the second one to run Mr. Gonzalez over did not stop and did not come up with this story right away when it would indicate someone else had killed him, (2) the driver who claims to be the second person to run the decedant over claims she only saw him in her rearview mirror (I think a person has to be Kennedy-style drunk not to see a B&B--no, Teddy, that's body and bicycle--in the road before running the B&B over, and (3) CSI had an episode in which a person was the second one to run the body over recently.

I also find your claim of up to 20 people running over the body to be--well, as incredible as a Bill&Hillary story.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

I correct myself. If they take a special eds drivers course, they can get it at 17 years of age.

[LibWhacker]

I really did not see him until the last minute," she said.

Then I considered it carefully for 59 seconds, whereupon I decided to swerve and run over him.

[metmom]

Legal or not, no 16 year old should be out that late on their own, much less a girl. Aside from the fact that stuff like this can happen, she could be the next Amber Alert.

What are those idiot parents thinking?

[arichtaxpayer]

I don’t think you would be able to see that it was a ‘body’ in the rear view mirror. No way, it’s just too dark.

I’ve seen 16 year old girls drive. It should be outlawed.

[FoxInSocks]

"I didn't know … I really did not see him. I really did not see him until the last minute," she said.

If she only ever saw him in her rear view mirror, I don't see how she can claim he was already dead.

[tet68]

I also find your claim of up to 20 people running over the body to be—well, as incredible as a Bill&Hillary story.

Well your Honor she had already been run over several times and when I saw that it was Hillery! I just had to run over her twice!”
Judge, “Twice? Only TWICE???” Why not five or six times?.

“Well your Honor, there were other people waiting their turn
and honking their horns.”

“Case dismissed.”

[muawiyah]

I specified Interstate. You know that.

Stuff happens out there.

We had an evil SUV sideswipe a dumptrunk out there once, and it took off over an embankment and came down on several cars in a different section of the highway ~ killed a bunch of people ~ and yes, pedestrians on the Interstates around here regularly get killed and then hit repeatedly. Hard to slow rush hour traffic.

There a gazillion sites about pedestrian/bicyclist traffic accidents on the net. One of them at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/PED_BIKE/docs/03p00324/01.htm reports information on a variety of "different" kinds of Hispanics ~ which means that although the FBI can't tell us how many black people are murdered by Hispanics each year, there's a website that can tell us how many Puerto Rican men were riding a bicycle when hit by a large truck.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

My mother and father-in-law were driving on a side street. They were bumped from the rear and hit a long black vehicle in front of them. Out popped a gurney with a man strapped to it.

The driver of this vehicle stopped his car and came to talk to my mother and father-in-law, trying to ascertain if they were safe and unharmed.

My mother-in-law could barely speak audibly as she pointed at the black vehicle and whispered if the man on the gurney was okay.

The driver of the black vehicle chuckled and said he was transporting a body to the funeral home; the man wasn’t alive.

My in-laws were never so relieved in their lives!

LOL

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Sorry, Pontiac, I meant my post #6 to go to kiki04.

No damage done I hope.

I think it is time for me to go to bed.

Regards.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I am even more old fashioned and with drivers training a person could get their drivers license at 14, as I did.

The problem is people buying their children cars and the children not putting any work or money into the car so they do not teach their child to be self reliant.

[Fintan]

Tina Maharath, 16, was behind the wheel of the vehicle that hit him. But Maharath claims the man, 32-year-old Andres Gonzalez, had already been hit and killed.

"I was on my way home from hanging out with friends and I hit something. So I looked in the rearview mirror and I noticed it was a guy," she said.

"So, like, you know, I was on my cell, texting, like minding my own business, you know? And like, I'm talking to Dana, she's like, you know, my best bud? and she hangs with Jason & Jude and they're SO COOL and they're hanging at Kelly's mom's house, sucking some bombs, when, like all of a sudden, this old dead guy is riding his bike, and, you know, like as soon as I see him, I'm like, Ohmygod  and then I like, you know, got a text from Dizzle 'cuz his 'rents are, you know like, out of town, and there's a party, so, you know, I'm, like THERE.

[Pontiac]

Sorry, Pontiac, I meant my post #6 to go to kiki04.

Well you did quote my Post.

I have no grief with your comment. 16 year olds are still children in fact. They need supervision and should not be away from home at that hour unsupervised.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

“What are those idiot parents thinking?”

I agree with you 100%. You are correct. The parents are at fault. Maybe she will be lucky if she gets a job working at Hooters...if she lives that long or isn’t raped along the way.

Tragically, it is too late to set values on her at this point. She is what she is now. A total waste to mankind and her country.

Another human loss that could have been productive.

On the other hand, it makes me nervous seeing children driving death machines at 16 years of age.