Local news briefs for October 18, 1999

Monday, Oct. 18, 1999 | 10:40 a.m.

Driver dies in collision with semi

A 32-year-old man died early this morning in Henderson when he lost control of his car and slid into the path of a tractor-trailer.

Henderson Police said the victim, whose name is being withheld until family members can be notified, was driving a 1974 Plymouth west on Lake Mead Drive at a high rate of speed about 4:30 a.m.

Investigators said the Plymouth and a van were speeding, intermittently passing each other, when the driver of the Plymouth lost control of his vehicle between Gibson Road and Stephanie Street and slid sideways into the eastbound truck driven by William Gustin, 61.

Gustin suffered minor injuries.

The driver of the van left the scene, police said.

Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to call Henderson Police at 565-8933.

Indictments handed down in three states

A yearlong joint investigation of Nevada, Utah and Arizona law enforcement agencies resulted in 36 indictments of what police say was a major methamphetamine distribution ring.

Seven search warrants were served simultaneously Saturday morning at two residences in Beaver Dam, Ariz., two in Mesquite and one in Las Vegas.

Jenaro Gamez, in his late 30s, was arrested in his home as a result of the Las Vegas warrant, Rick Keema, supervisor of the Nevada Division of Investigation drug task force, said.

Andres Ortega, 68, considered the ring's leader, was arrested at his home in Beaver Dam, and other Ortega family members and associates were picked up at the other locations.

Police believe the Ortega family and their associates are part of the "Rebels 13," a gang based in Compton, Calif.

Man killed by car on Owens Avenue

A Las Vegas man was killed Sunday afternoon when he was hit by a car on Owens Avenue east of A Street.

The 73-year-old man was near the Salvation Army, 33 W. Owens, at 3:21 a.m. when he ran north across the traffic lanes, Metro Police said.

The victim, whose name was withheld until family members can be notified, was hit by a 1999 Hyundai traveling eastbound on Owens, police said.

The driver of the Hyundai tried to swerve out of the way but was unable to avoid hitting the victim, police said.

The victim was taken to University Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.

Pledges signed on high school campus

Students across the nation will be given the opportunity Thursday, a National Day of Concern, to sign a pledge against violence, but Silverado High School has taken it one step further.

Silverado Student Council members on Friday visited every classroom and explained to fellow students the importance of the pledge against violence and guns, Di Perkins, assistant principal in charge of activities, said. A signup table has been set up in the school's courtyard.

So far, 2,500 of Silverado's 3,500 students have signed pledges.

The pledges will be buried in a time capsule under a tree planted at the school to remember the April Columbine High School shootings, Lindsay Dwyer, a student council vice president, said.

Company suffered accident in February

National Transportation Safety Board records show that Thursday night's plane crash in the Las Vegas Range north of the valley is the second fatal crash of an Ameriflight Inc. plane this year.

Ameriflight, which has a fleet of more than 180 cargo aircraft making more than 525 daily flights, had a Beech-C99 plane go down near Bishop, Calif., on Feb. 12. The pilot of that plane died in the crash.

Keith Patrick Riley, 30, was killed in Thursday's crash when the Piper Navajo he was piloting crashed into Gass Peak about 7:50 p.m.

CDC confirms ranch worker has disease

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has confirmed a case of hantavirus in Nevada.

Brian Gardner, a 29-year-old Alamo ranch hand, is in critical condition with the virus at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Ann Lynch said.

The Food and Drug Administration gave Gardner's doctors permission to use an experimental intravenous drug, Ribabiran, to combat the virus, Lynch said.

The virus kills about 43 percent of people who become ill with it, Lynch said. But Gardner's health and age will help him fight the disease, which attacks the lungs.

Hantavirus is carried by rodents. The animals' urine, feces or saliva can harbor the virus and infect people who inhale contaminated droplets or particles. Gardner works on a ranch in Lincoln County, 80 miles north of Las Vegas.

Problems hurt police seeking information

The Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety's new $35 million computer program, which has caused long lines at DMV offices across the state, is also causing delays for dispatchers and police.

The most frustrating problem for dispatchers is the need to call up the same data on two separate screens in order to retrieve information on DMV records and outstanding warrants, police said.

Under the old system, one screen was used for both data searches. Dispatchers now often have to tell officers in the field to wait longer for the information.

Officials at the Nevada criminal repository said they had fixed the problem as of Friday morning.

Meanwhile, waits at DMV counters continue to shrink following Gov. Kenny Guinn's Oct. 7 announcement of a plan to deal with the computer problems.