GREENSBORO, N.C. -- In 2003, Pat and George Gates lost their son to in a hit and run crash. During sentencing, one of the people responsible, promised to fix his flaws and his life.
But Rabah Samara apparently hasn't fulfilled that promise since the death of Stephen Gates, a Western Guilford graduate and UNC alum.
Since that deadly crash, Samara's life has been regularly punctuated with D-W-I charges. He has faced drunk driving charges three more times since his role in Gates' death.
Pat says every time Rabah Samara gets into trouble, it churns up those awful feelings, especially since Samara promised he would turn his life around. "It's almost like being disappointed in your own child," said Gates. "I feel so disappointed in him."
This week, Rabah Samara was convicted of another DWI, this one from last March. "It's just so sad after what he went through with the hit and run trial and I just can't imagine that he hasn't been able to turn his life around," said Gates.
Stephen was a sports reporter at UNC when he was killed on October 4th, 2003. He was changing a tire on the side of Interstate 40 in Orange County when he was hit by a car. Samara wasn't the driver, but got behind the wheel after the crash and took off. He was later arrested for drunk driving.
Samara's DWI arrest last year was his third of four. Samara was arrested for DWI a fourth time last December.
The Gates feel the agony every time. "It's not like we could ever put the death of our son behind us, but this really destructive stuff, does it have to keep going on?" asked Pat.
Over the years, Pat and George Gates have sat in the courtroom whenever Samara is there. They do it to honor Stephen. "Everybody needs an advocate if they can't be their own," said Pat.
They also serve as a reminder for the promise Samara made to them after Stephen's death. "Promise me you will make your life meaningful and make it worthy of the one that was taken, and he said, I will," said Pat.
Pat says she'll continue to sit in the courtroom in the hopes Samara will get her message. "We would love for him to be something our son didn't have the chance to be."
