Prosecutors: Driver charged in hit-and-run that hurt pedestrian was ‘concerned with the damage to her car’

Sept. 02--A woman accused of driving away after her car struck and critically injured a Midtown Anchorage pedestrian late Wednesday night told investigators she wasn't sure if she would ever notify police of the collision, according to charging documents.

Danae Kish, 19, is charged with leaving the scene of the accident, which took place just before 9:30 p.m. near 16th Avenue and A Street. Police said Thursday as the pedestrian victim was taken to a local hospital, witnesses provided the license plate number of Kish's Ford Taurus; officers were able to find and arrest her at a nearby home within 30 minutes.

A document on the case, released after Kish was arraigned Thursday afternoon, named the injured man as Otto Moses John. John was taken to the Alaska Native Medical Center, where the document said he was "in intensive care with facial and skull fractures."

Officers found one of John's shoes "at a distance from the collision," but didn't see skid marks or indications of any attempt to avoid the impact. They also spoke with people who saw the crash.

"In summary the witnesses described (seeing) the Ford, traveling at 50 mph without its headlights turned on, strike John in the far right lane and then drive off," prosecutors wrote.

When officers arrived at the address on 13th Avenue where they arrested Kish, they found her and her two passengers outside the Taurus. Investigators saw a dent on the right side of the car's hood, as well as shattering on the windshield's passenger side; the car's passenger-side mirror had also been broken off.

Kish provided a markedly different account of the incident than the witnesses, claiming she honked at John and slowed to 25 mph before he jumped onto her car. Officers said she "sounded more concerned with the damage to her car than Otto Moses John's injuries."

"Kish, when asked by police why she drove off, replied 'My car is messed up' and 'He's not going to pay for it,' " prosecutors wrote. "(She) told police she was probably going to make an insurance claim and was unsure if she was ever going to call police. (She) told police she knew she was supposed to stop and help the man but was concerned about the damage to her vehicle."

Both of Kish's passengers said they saw John step into the road just before the collision, and that Kish honked but didn't stop. One passenger said nobody got out to check on John before Kish drove off.

Field sobriety tests performed on Kish, who said she'd used marijuana the day before, provided inconsistent results. Police said Thursday that they were awaiting the results of toxicology testing on both Kish and John.

Court records show Kish has had several moving violations on Anchorage roads since 2014, including four for not having a valid driver's license and one for running a red light. She is scheduled to appear in court again next week.

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