Death of doctor hits Valley hospital hard
Oct 14, 2012, 8:38 PM | Updated: Oct 15, 2012, 2:31 pm
Doctors and staff alike at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s are in mourning Monday, after the hit-and-run death of colleague Dr. Marwan Maalouf.
Maalouf, 38, who was riding his bicycle along Shea Boulevard, was killed Sunday afternoon in Fountain Hills when a truck hit him from behind and fled the scene.
Driver Nicholas Linsk, 33, was arrested and charged with a class 2 felony Sunday night for leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
At around noon Maalouf was riding his bicycle westbound when his back wheel was hit by a trailing vehicle. He was killed on impact.
Shortly after the crash, a witness driving past the scene of accident noticed debris and saw a man nearby inspecting his Chevrolet pickup on 134th Street.
The witness then reported the license plate number to local authorities.
Maalouf was a respected neurologist at St. Joseph’s Barrow. “Replacing an individual like Dr. Maalouf is extremely difficult,” said Dr. Roy Patchell, who hired Maalouf in 2010.
“He could have cured Alzheimer’s disease, possibly. He certainly could have made a major dent in our understanding of Alzheimer’s.”
Maalouf leaves behind a wife.
