Medical condition may have led to fiery fatal, authorities say

Sandra Chereb

Monday, Feb. 21, 2000 | 3:57 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - A diabetic's medical condition may have been a factor in a fiery crash that killed two men and a young girl and left a young boy clinging to life, a Washoe County sheriff's sergeant speculated on Monday.

The Sunday accident was the third fatal wreck in northern Nevada in three days.

Lafayette Lee, 66, of Reno, was diabetic and may have been experiencing a medical problem when his car crossed into the southbound lane of Pyramid Highway on Sunday afternoon, Sgt. Mark Vorderbruggen said.

"We found his medical ID card that said he was diabetic," Vorderbruggen said. "There's just a lot of stuff we're looking into."

A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper had tried to stop Lee's 1990 Cadillac, which was weaving in and out of the travel lane, but Lee never acknowledged the trooper's flashing lights and did not pull over, investigators said.

Traveling between 55 mph and 65 mph, the Cadillac swerved and plowed head-on into a 1992 Mazda pickup driven by Ronald Phoenix, 37, of Sparks.

Two children were passengers in the truck.

Lee, Phoenix and 6-year-old Shasta Suraco were killed. Justin Suraco, 8, remained in critical condition Monday at Washoe Medical Center.

Phoenix was the children's uncle, Vorderbruggen said.

The Cadillac caught fire immediately after the crash. Several people tried to pull Lee out but were forced back by the intense heat. The vehicle was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived five minutes later, authorities said.

The highway north of Sparks was closed for four hours.

It was the third fatal accident in three days in northern Nevada.

On Friday, Linda L. Cash, 37, of Sparks, died when she lost control of her car on Interstate 80 near the Keystone onramp. The car struck a concrete curb and overturned. Cash was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Carson City man died Saturday following a head-on collision on U.S. 95 Alternate south of Fernley.

The NHP said Gary L. Studely, 35, died when an oncoming vehicle crossed into his travel lane. A passenger, John Hoyt, 35, also of Carson City, was injured.

The other driver, Richard S. Jutter, 64, of Colton, Wash., received a mild head injury. His wife, Shirlen, 63, was uninjured, the NHP said.

Investigations into all three accidents were continuing.