Stun, based on what you are describing, it sounds like you have either a power issue going to the Engine Control Unit (ie, the computer that controls how the engine runs) or the ECU is going bad. What happened is that the ECU wasn't able to see the engine and therefore didn't know what to do. So, to be safe, it essentially turned itself off. ECU don't work, the spark plugs don't fire, therefore the motor will not fire or run.

Now, the question is what caused the ECU to do this. I would tell you to first go to an auto parts store and get the code that is causing the check engine light to be on. That will tell you a lot about what is going on. It will probably say something to the effect of "unable to complete drive mode". Get this code (or codes, may be more than one) and let me know what they are. From there I can make a much better diagnosis of what is going on with your car. But, it may be possible that you will end up at a shop to have them fix this. Granted, with the car running fine, there may not be much they can do without spending tons of time on the car (ie, large repair bill due to hours of work). But, the code(s) will give me a better idea of what you can expect.