Woman killed in four-car crash

Friday, July 12, 2002 | 9:49 a.m.

A four-car hit-and-run crash at West Charleston Boulevard and Buffalo Drive Thursday caused the death of a Las Vegas woman and the arrest of a man suspected of drunken driving, Metro Police said.

Police arrested Thomas Mannix, 32, of Las Vegas after a struggle, officers said.

Mannix was treated for injuries and booked at the Clark County Detention Center on a series of charges, including involuntary manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and felony driving under the influence as well as felony reckless driving.

Police said Mannix, driving a Buick Roadmaster westbound on Charleston, failed to stop for a red light at Buffalo and struck a Dodge van driven by Tina Boudreaux, 39, of Las Vegas.

The collision pushed the Dodge into a Ford pickup driven by Richard Sevigny, 61, of Las Vegas. Both the Dodge and the Ford were southbound on Buffalo.

The Dodge then struck a Toyota driven by Laurence Geronimo, 38, of Las Vegas.

After hitting a light pole, Mannix got out of the vehicle, looked at his female passenger and fled on foot, officers said. Witnesses followed the driver to a nearby house and called police. Both officers and paramedics struggled to get the driver into an ambulance.

The passenger, 47-year-old Deborah Fornuto, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. All of the others involved in the accident received moderate injuries.

Witnesses and evidence at the scene told officers the Buick was traveling at a high rate of speed, police said.