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Bicyclist killed in Dana Point crash 38-year-old Haitham Gamal
Bicyclist killed 
The car that hit the bike Tuesday night overturned, officials said. Alcohol might have played a role in the crash.
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A community safety officer tapes off the sidewalk at Green Lantern on Wednesday morning as cleanup crews work a scene where a bicyclist, identified as 38-year-old Haitham Gamal of Dana Point, died after being struck by a 2001 Acura along Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point late Tuesday night.
Haitham Gamal, 38, died after being struck by a car along Pacific Coast Highway
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/drunk-driving-victim-dui-convictions-report-article-1.1788004#ixzz31mctjL81
map
Cole said Gamal leaves behind a wife and young children.This wreck happened in Dana Point, on the Pacific Coast Highway. It was near that road’s intersection with Green Lantern. The date was Tuesday, April 29, 2014. It was close to 11:15 at night.
DANA POINT – After three drunken driving convictions, Haitham Gamal appeared ready to change.
The Dana Point resident completed an intensive rehabilitation program and vowed to do what his lawyer said so many DUI offenders won’t: adhere to his court-mandated driver’s license suspension by selling his car and embracing bicycling.
But last week, even though he wasn’t doing the drinking, authorities say alcohol ended the 38-year-old’s life.
A 19-year-old man who authorities say was speeding and had been drinking struck Gamal with his 2001 Acura on Pacific Coast Highway as Gamal rode his bicycle south between Blue Lantern and Green Lantern streets at about 11:15 p.m. on April 29. Gamal, who friends say worked at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“He was doing the right thing, and somebody hit him that had been drinking,” said Walter Cole, a Newport Beach lawyer hired by Gamal.
The crash occurred one day after Gamal pleaded guilty to a January 2013 DUI in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana. Cole was at his side.
The longtime DUI lawyer learned of his client’s death when he read a May 1 news article about the crash, which is still under investigation, said Lt. Jeff Hallock, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The department has not released the suspect’s name.
Hallock said detectives are awaiting blood-test results before they send their investigation to the district attorney’s office for possible criminal charges.
The Acura flipped on its top after hitting Gamal, and the driver and his 18-year-old passenger were treated for head trauma at Mission Hospital. Capt. Steve Concialdi, spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority, said the injuries were moderate but not life-threatening.
Cole said Gamal leaves behind a wife and young children. He said Gamal differed from other drunken drivers he has represented because he accepted his problem and seemed to genuinely want to change.
“A lot of my clients are in denial. ... He wasn’t,” Cole said. “He was on the road to recovery.”
Hallock described the case as an “unfortunate accident.”
“Obviously, any kind of fatal crash that involves alcohol, I think, just speaks to the dangers of drinking,” Hallock said.
Gamal pleaded guilty to DUI in 2005 and again in 2009. The second conviction earned him probation for three years, but court records show he violated it within a month of starting it. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor public intoxication in 2012, then was arrested for his third and final DUI about a month later.
He was sentenced the day before he died to five years of probation and 45 days in jail, of which he was to serve 20, followed by 45 days of home confinement. Cole said Gamal didn’t have to report to jail for a couple of months.
He also was to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victims impact panel and complete an 18-month program.
Cole isn’t sure what to make of his client’s death.
“I don’t know, unless it’s just karma,” he said. “But I think a lot of times we’re approaching drunk driving the wrong way.”
Cole said Gamal responded well to treatment and was committed to improving his life. The 180-day program he completed “is a very good program” that focuses on treatment instead of punishment.
He isn’t hopeful that Gamal’s story will encourage others not to drink and drive. There’s just too many people who do, Cole said.
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, 10 Orange County cities are among the worst in the state for rates of injuries and fatalities caused by intoxicated drivers. Nearly 10 percent of Orange County collisions in 2012 involved alcohol, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.
“There’s so many of them out there drinking and driving that one little thing like this isn’t going to make a big difference,” Cole said.
Published: April 30, 2014
Accident Video News For Dana Point, Orange County, California: Bicycle Rider Haitham Gamal Killed In Crash On Pacific Coast Highway; 2 Teens Injured And Alcohol Suspected
The bicyclist was identified as 38-year-old Haitham Gamal of Dana Point, said Lt. Jeff Hallock of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A driver and passenger inside the vehicle were also hospitalized when their sedan overturned after hitting the bicyclist, Hallock said.
There were two teenagers in a car when this accident occurred. The vehicle hit a bicycle rider before crashing. The bike rider died, and the two teens were injured.
Haitham Gamal was riding the bicycle. He was 38 years old and lived in Dana Point, Orange County, California. The teens were not identified yet by name. The driver is 19 and from Dana Point. The passenger is 18, but this person’s city of residence was not provided.
This wreck happened in Dana Point, on the Pacific Coast Highway. It was near that road’s intersection with Green Lantern. The date was Tuesday, April 29, 2014. It was close to 11:15 at night.
There aren’t many details on what caused the initial collision. Gamal was headed in the same direction as the teen driver, who was in an Acura. At some point, the Acura hit the bicycle, and the driver then lost control. The Acura overturned. That just sounds a little strange. You rarely hear of a car overturning after hitting a bicycle. One thing that should be investigated is whether the car was actually out of control BEFORE hitting the bicycle. I’m not saying this happened, but it should be investigated.
Gamal’s family would need to show that the teen driver was negligent and caused the accident to recover from the Acura’s liability policy (if it is insured). Proof of alcohol would be helpful evidence, but it would not necessarily prove liability all by itself. A more complete set of facts is necessary to get to the bottom of this.
http://crashnegligence.com/accident-video-news-for-dana-point-orange-county-california-bicycle-rider-haitham-gamal-killed-in-crash-on-pacific-coast-highway-2-teens-injured-and-alcohol-suspected/
Deputies from the department’s major accident reconstruction team were investigating.
................................
DANA POINT, Calif. -- An Orange County man recently released from rehab after three drunken driving convictions died when authorities say a 19-year-old man who had been drinking struck him, a newspaper reported.
Haitham Gamal, 38, was bicycling in Dana Point when a 2001 Acura hit him on April 29, the Orange County Register reported Friday (http://bit.ly/1hEBt9S ).
Gamal was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred a day after Gamal pleaded guilty to a January 2013 DUI in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana.
His lawyer, Walter Cole, says Gamal was on the "road to recovery" after a history of DUI arrests. He had recently completed an intensive rehabilitation program.
"He was doing the right thing, and somebody hit him that had been drinking," Cole told the newspaper.
Authorities have not released the name of the driver.
Detectives are awaiting blood-test results before they send their investigation to prosecutors for possible criminal charges, said Lt. Jeff Hallock, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
The Acura flipped on its top after hitting Gamal, and the driver and his 18-year-old passenger were treated for moderate injuries at a hospital.
Cole said Gamal leaves behind a wife and young children.
He was sentenced the day before he died to five years of probation and 45 days in jail. He was going to serve 20 days in jail and then 45 days of home confinement. Cole said Gamal didn't have to report to jail for a couple of months.
Gamal pleaded guilty to DUI in 2005 and in 2009 — the latter conviction getting him three years of probation. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor public intoxication in 2012 and then was arrested on his third DUI about a month later.
map
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=green+lantern+dana+point&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x80dcf05c06b782a7:0x1591d2aba9f15f98,Street+of+the+Green+Lantern,+Dana+Point,+CA+92629&gl=us&ei=F6h0U7CbL4iEogSM6YDgDg&ved=0CCgQ8gEwAA
Don Ruiz
I knew Haitham. He was very friendly, outgoing, and fun to talk with. He was originally from Egypt and worked at the St. Regis. He was riding his bike home from work. Yes, there is a bike lane there. From what I've heard the kids were driving too fast and didn't make the curve and took Haitham out. This was a senseless accident with dire consequences and Haitham will certainly be missed. So very sad...
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An Orange County man recently released from rehab after three drunken driving convictions died when authorities say a 19-year-old man who had been drinking struck him, a newspaper reported.
Haitham Gamal, 38, was bicycling in Dana Point when a 2001 Acura hit him on April 29, the Orange County Register reported Friday.
Gamal was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred a day after Gamal pleaded guilty to a January 2013 DUI in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana.
His lawyer, Walter Cole, says Gamal was on the "road to recovery" after a history of DUI arrests. He had recently completed an intensive rehabilitation program.
"He was doing the right thing, and somebody hit him that had been drinking," Cole told the newspaper.
Authorities have not released the name of the driver.
Detectives are awaiting blood-test results before they send their investigation to prosecutors for possible criminal charges, said Lt. Jeff Hallock, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
The Acura flipped on its top after hitting Gamal, and the driver and his 18-year-old passenger were treated for moderate injuries at a hospital.
Cole said Gamal leaves behind a wife and young children.
He was sentenced the day before he died to five years of probation and 45 days in jail. He was going to serve 20 days in jail and then 45 days of home confinement. Cole said Gamal didn't have to report to jail for a couple of months.
Gamal pleaded guilty to DUI in 2005 and in 2009 — the latter conviction getting him three years of probation. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor public intoxication in 2012 and then was arrested on his third DUI about a month
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/drunk-driving-victim-dui-convictions-report-article-1.1788004#ixzz32dvPO8Mh
DANA POINT – After three drunken driving convictions, Haitham Gamal appeared ready to change.
The Dana Point resident completed an intensive rehabilitation program and vowed to do what his lawyer said so many DUI offenders won’t: adhere to his court-mandated driver’s license suspension by selling his car and embracing bicycling.
But last week, even though he wasn’t doing the drinking, authorities say alcohol ended the 38-year-old’s life.
A 19-year-old man who authorities say was speeding and had been drinking struck Gamal with his 2001 Acura on Pacific Coast Highway as Gamal rode his bicycle south between Blue Lantern and Green Lantern streets at about 11:15 p.m. on April 29. Gamal, who friends say worked at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“He was doing the right thing, and somebody hit him that had been drinking,” said Walter Cole, a Newport Beach lawyer hired by Gamal.
The crash occurred one day after Gamal pleaded guilty to a January 2013 DUI in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana. Cole was at his side.
The longtime DUI lawyer learned of his client’s death when he read a May 1 news article about the crash, which is still under investigation, said Lt. Jeff Hallock, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The department has not released the suspect’s name.
Hallock said detectives are awaiting blood-test results before they send their investigation to the district attorney’s office for possible criminal charges.
The Acura flipped on its top after hitting Gamal, and the driver and his 18-year-old passenger were treated for head trauma at Mission Hospital. Capt. Steve Concialdi, spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority, said the injuries were moderate but not life-threatening.
Cole said Gamal leaves behind a wife and young children. He said Gamal differed from other drunken drivers he has represented because he accepted his problem and seemed to genuinely want to change.
“A lot of my clients are in denial. ... He wasn’t,” Cole said. “He was on the road to recovery.”
Hallock described the case as an “unfortunate accident.”
“Obviously, any kind of fatal crash that involves alcohol, I think, just speaks to the dangers of drinking,” Hallock said.
Gamal pleaded guilty to DUI in 2005 and again in 2009. The second conviction earned him probation for three years, but court records show he violated it within a month of starting it. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor public intoxication in 2012, then was arrested for his third and final DUI about a month later.
He was sentenced the day before he died to five years of probation and 45 days in jail, of which he was to serve 20, followed by 45 days of home confinement. Cole said Gamal didn’t have to report to jail for a couple of months.
He also was to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victims impact panel and complete an 18-month program.
Cole isn’t sure what to make of his client’s death.
“I don’t know, unless it’s just karma,” he said. “But I think a lot of times we’re approaching drunk driving the wrong way.”
Cole said Gamal responded well to treatment and was committed to improving his life. The 180-day program he completed “is a very good program” that focuses on treatment instead of punishment.
He isn’t hopeful that Gamal’s story will encourage others not to drink and drive. There’s just too many people who do, Cole said.
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, 10 Orange County cities are among the worst in the state for rates of injuries and fatalities caused by intoxicated drivers. Nearly 10 percent of Orange County collisions in 2012 involved alcohol, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.
“There’s so many of them out there drinking and driving that one little thing like this isn’t going to make a big difference,” Cole said.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/gamal-613474-cole-dui.html
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The bicyclist was identified as 38-year-old Haitham Gamal of Dana Point, said Lt. Jeff Hallock of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A driver and passenger inside the vehicle were also hospitalized when their sedan overturned after hitting the bicyclist, Hallock said.
The crash was reported at 11:15 p.m. Tuesday near the Green Lantern intersection, he said.
The 2001 Acura and bicyclist both were headed south on Pacific Coast Highway.
After the collision, the Acura’s driver lost control of the vehicle and it overturned, Hallock said.
The driver was identified only as a 19-year-old man from Dana Point. He and an 18-year-old passenger were taken to a hospital to be treated for head trauma.
Alcohol is believed to have been a factor, Hallock said. The crash is under investigation, he said, and no citations or arrests have been made.