News briefs for January 25, 2002

Friday, Jan. 25, 2002 | 9:45 a.m.

No foul play suspected in fire

The cause of the fire that killed Moapa Justice of the Peace Marley Robinson early Thursday remains under investigation, but Metro Police said no foul play is suspected.

An autopsy is expected to be conducted, and the cause may be released later today, said Bob Leinbach, Clark County Fire Department spokesman.

Metro homicide detectives went to the scene Thursday as is routine when someone is killed in a fire. Lt. Tom Monahan said, "All indications point toward everything being accidental."

Clark County volunteer firefighters were called to a mobile home about 2 a.m. Thursday near Greasewood and Cactus roads in Moapa, about 50 miles north of Las Vegas, and found the home engulfed in fire, officials said.

Man plunges into ravine

A 39-year-old Las Vegas man was killed Wednesday night when his all-terrain vehicle plummeted into a ravine near Kyle Canyon Road and U.S. 95.

Randal Smith was riding the ATV about 10:45 p.m. through the desert when he fell about 60 feet and hit a large boulder, Metro Police said. He died at the scene.

Jaywalking believed to be the cause

A pedestrian struck while apparently jaywalking has been identified as 47-year-old Doris Kane of Las Vegas.

Kane was struck by a car about 5:50 p.m. Tuesday on Las Vegas Boulevard North near Nellis Boulevard. Metro Police investigators said witnesses and evidence indicate Kane crossed the street outside a crosswalk, the street was dimly lit and Kane was wearing dark clothing.

Car collides with bike

A 20-year-old motorcyclist was killed Thursday evening when he collided with a car leaving a parking lot.

The accident happened about 5:45 p.m. on Windmill Lane just west of Pecos Road, Henderson Police said.

A Chevrolet Camaro came out of a shopping center driveway on the north side of Windmill in an attempt to get to a shopping center on the south side of the street, police said.

Coroner's officials identified the motorcycle rider as Ryan Saenz of Las Vegas.

Woman killed in four-vehicle crash

The name of a woman who died in a four-vehicle accident Monday has been identified as 29-year-old Michaela K. Hamilton.

Hamilton's car was struck after a series of collisions on Flamingo Road near Arville Street about 12:50 a.m. Monday. The accident apparently started when a car driven by Lucinda Anderson, 62, of Las Vegas, pulled out of a casino parking lot across four lanes of traffic and was struck by another car. Anderson's car went across the median and struck a van, Metro Police said.

The van then went across the median and struck Hamilton's car. She was ejected from the car. Anderson left the scene and was later arrested, police said.

Crash victim from New Jersey

An 86-year-old Lakewood, N.J., woman killed in an accident Tuesday was identified as Harriette L. Leve.

Leve was a passenger in a car driven by Frieda Cooperstone, 85, that collided with a pickup driven by Roy Horikawa, 56, Tuesday about 1:15 p.m. on Rampart Boulevard near Alta Drive, Metro Police said.

Cooperstone apparently tried to turn left into a private driveway and turned into the path of Horikawa's truck, police said.

Leve and Cooperstone, of Las Vegas, were taken to University Medical Center. Leve died shortly after arriving at the hospital. Cooperstone was listed in fair condition. Horikawa was not injured.

Bush policies come under fire

A national environmental policy group Thursday blasted Bush administration policies, particularly those affecting Nevada.

The 175,000-member Wilderness Society criticized the administration's moves to allow more off-road vehicles in national parks, put more roads into national forests, drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and loosen restrictions on energy production.

"The same people that want to ship the nation's nuclear waste to Nevada are cranking out one policy after another that will hurt the state's environment," Brian O'Donnell of the Wilderness Society said. "They have rolled back stronger mining standards and they have reduced protection for wetlands and for roadless lands in national forests."

Nevada has 1.3 million acres of "roadless lands."