$100,000 bail set in crash that killed 2

Kim Smith

Friday, Jan. 19, 2001 | 11:08 a.m.

A $100,000 bail has been set for an Illinois woman accused of causing a crash that killed a Sandy Valley couple last weekend.

Justice of the Peace Tony Abbatangelo set Melissa Biba's bail after hearing impassioned arguments from her attorney, Dominic Gentile, and Deputy District Attorney Bruce Nelson.

Nelson asked that a $2 million bail be set to ensure Biba shows up for further court proceedings. Gentile said $50,000 would be sufficient.

Police believe Biba was driving around 85 mph and passing cars on the right shoulder of northbound Interstate 15 when she sideswiped a pickup carrying Dick and Carlene Scott. The pickup rolled numerous times, and the Scotts, who were on their way to Las Vegas to go grocery shopping, were killed.

Biba and her passenger, who were both uninjured in the wreck, met late Friday night on the Strip and the two rented a Corvette to drive to Jean.

Once they arrived, Biba apparently remembered she needed to get back to Las Vegas to catch a flight home to Illinois. The accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Gentile told Abbatangelo that Biba has never been in trouble before and is an honorable, hardworking and responsible person. If released on bail, Gentile said, she would go home to Illinois and willingly give up her driver's license.

Gentile also offered to make sure Biba appears in court on the day an indictment is returned, if indeed one is returned. A judge can decide at that time if she is truly a flight risk, he said.

Nelson objected to the $50,000 bail, saying the judge has no way to make sure she doesn't drive in Nevada, let alone Illinois. The only way he would be able to find out if she did drive again is if she killed someone else in a drunken driving accident and the story appeared in the newspaper, Nelson said.

Biba's family has enough money to aid her if she decided to flee, Nelson said.

Moreover, Biba has already shown a willingness to drink and drive and the fact her blood alcohol was 0.17 within two hours of the accident indicates she is an experienced drinker, Nelson said. Most people pass out before they get to that point, he said.

Abbatangelo set bail at $100,000 and ordered Biba to give her driver's license to Gentile so he can submit it to the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles. He also ordered her to appear in court on the day she is indicted if she has been released from jail. He also said she is not to drink or use drugs and she must remain employed.