News briefs for October 1, 2001

Monday, Oct. 1, 2001 | 10:52 a.m.

Woman dies in three-car crash

A 25-year-old Las Vegas woman died and five others were injured Sunday in a three-vehicle accident.

Yvette Villacorta died after being taken to University Medical Center after the accident at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Arville Street, Metro Police said.

The accident occurred about 5:20 p.m. Sunday when a car driven by Olga Velasco, 27, of Las Vegas, collided with a car driven Russell Lahoud, 45, of Las Vegas, police said. Lahoud was making a left turn from Arville Street onto Flamingo Road when Velasco apparently failed to stop at a red light on Flamingo Road, police said.

Velasco's car then sideswiped another car driven by Tenagne Adame, 38, of Las Vegas. Villacorta was a passenger in Velasco's car. Velasco and two other passengers in her car, including a 2 year old, were treated for injuries described as minor or moderate. Lahoud and a passenger in his car also suffered minor to moderate injuries, police said. Adame was not injured.

Police say man ran into street

A 41-year-old pedestrian was killed Sunday night when he was hit by a sport utility vehicle on Cheyenne Avenue east of Civic Center Drive.

The male pedestrian apparently ran into the roadway Sunday about 8:30 p.m. He was struck on the left side by a Ford Explorer driven by a 25-year-old woman, police said.

Witnesses told police the man darted into traffic and was not in a crosswalk, police said.

Police did not identify the woman driving the SUV. The man's name was not released this morning pending positive identification and notification of his family.

Two men found dead are ID'd

Two men found shot to death Wednesday night have been identified as 34-year-old Patrick L. Hawkins of Los Angeles and 23-year-old Adrian R. Williams of Las Vegas.

Hawkins was found shot outside an apartment building in the 200 block of Jackson Avenue, near Owens Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard, about 11:35 p.m. Wednesday. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he died. Williams was found dead inside an apartment, police said.

UMC featured on Learning Channel

The doctors and nurses of University Medical Center's trauma center will be featured tonight on The Learning Channel's series "Trauma: Life in the ER.'

The episode, entitled "Viva La Trauma," will air from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Medical cases featured in the episode include two alleged gang members treated for gunshot wounds, a child injured after falling from a second-story balcony and a truck driver injured when his rig falls 80 feet from a highway overpass.

A second episode following the Las Vegas medical teams, "Bright Lights, Big Trauma," will be broadcast Nov. 26, also from 8 to 9 p.m.

The Learning Channel is broadcast on Cox cable Channel 38.

Judge denies dismissal motion

A District Court judge has denied a motion to throw out charges against a Las Vegas school theater manager accused of having sex with a student.

Michael Vicious, through his attorney James Leavitt, had sought dismissal of the charges because he's not a teacher but was charged under the statute dealing with teachers, principals, coaches and others in positions of authority.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure said Friday he would leave it up to a jury to determine whether Vicious was in a position of authority.

Vicious, 30, theater manager at the Las Vegas Academy, was arrested Feb. 10 by school police and was charged with one count of sexual conduct between a school employee and a pupil.

A status check was set for Oct. 13 to determine whether the case will go to trial or if Vicious will accept a plea bargain.

Pilot found near Mesquite

Members of the Civil Air Patrol's Nevada Wing rescued a seriously injured pilot from an isolated area about 70 miles northeast of Las Vegas Saturday.

The volunteer search and rescue team was at North Las Vegas Airport for a training exercise when it received an emergency radio call for help at 9:35 a.m., said incident commander Lt. Col. Rezk Mohamed II.

A pilot told the squadron over the radio his powered parachute crashed into a gully about 10 miles southwest of Mesquite, Mohamed said.

The squadron took off in an airplane to locate the man from overhead and soon found the downed aircraft.

A Flight for Life helicopter took the pilot to a St. George, Utah, hospital.

Mohamed said the pilot was being treated for a broken leg and several cuts.

LV area gets $25 million

More than $25 million in federal funds have been allotted for improvements to Southern Nevada airports, congressional officials said.

Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., and Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said the funding will enable airports in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson to continue runway improvement projects and rehabilitate and expand terminals.

McCarran International Airport will receive $9.5 million to continue runway and apron improvements.

North Las Vegas Air Terminal will get nearly $7.7 million to rehabilitate and expand its terminal, construct a terminal apron and make other improvements.

Henderson Executive Airport will receive two grants totaling $8 million to construct a new runway and to pay for land that has been required for development, officials said.

Seale retains state post

State Republican Chairman Bob Seale has been re-elected to a second two-year term, and he predicts the GOP will sweep all three Nevada congressional seats and the six constitutional offices in the 2002 election.

Seale beat challenger Jim Williams of Pahrump in an election by the state GOP Central Committee at its meeting Saturday in Pahrump.

Erleen Forsythe of Reno was re-elected co-chairwoman, Al Valdez of Henderson was chosen as treasurer again and Carolyn Merhing of Battle Mountain was elected secretary.

Seale said Monday the GOP treasury was "in pretty good shape with a couple of hundred thousand dollars," but he added there's a concern about fund-raising for the upcoming election because of the current national unsettled economy.