News briefs for June 23, 2003

Monday, June 23, 2003 | 9:42 a.m.

Officer injured in collision

A Metro Police officer was in critical condition Sunday after a pickup truck hit his patrol car Saturday in southwest Las Vegas.

Police said Laurie Adams, 40, was driving a black Ford pickup truck eastbound on Flamingo Road and tried to make an illegal left turn, striking the patrol car driven by Officer James Testa, 28, who was traveling westbound on Flamingo.

The crash caused the patrol car to veer into a cement wall, injuring the officer and a 17-year-old cadet in the passenger seat. Both were taken to University Medical Center, where the officer was listed in critical condition.

John Huffman, 40, a passenger in the truck, was thrown from the vehicle and was also taken to UMC in serious condition, witnesses told police.

Adams was taken to UMC with moderate injuries.

No charges have been filed, pending an investigation.

Driver arrested after cyclist killed

The driver of a Jeep Liberty was charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony driving while under the influence of alcohol after a motorcyclist was killed in a crash Friday night in the southeast valley, Metro Police said.

The Jeep was eastbound on Sunset Road about 11:30 p.m., police said, when the driver tried to turn left into a bar parking lot and collided with a motorcyclist, driving westbound on Sunset Road.

The motorcyclist died at the scene. The Clark County coroner's office will identify him after notifying the family.

The identify of the Jeep driver was not released.

Propane torch sparks house fire

A man repairing a water pipe with a propane torch in his attic Saturday sparked a fire that caused an estimated $85,000 in damage, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

Firefighters arrived at a single-story home in the 500 block of Canosa Avenue near Oakey and Las Vegas boulevards to find a wood-shake shingle roof on fire.

The fire caused damage to the center portion of the roof and attic. About 95 percent of the house, however, was not damaged from the fire, Szymanski said.

There were no injuries and the five residents refused assistance from the Red Cross.

Fire investigators ruled the blaze accidental.

Suspect in killing arrested downtown

Agents with the U.S. marshal's office arrested a California murder suspect in downtown Las Vegas Friday afternoon.

Reginald McGowan, 24, was arrested in a downtown motel about 1 p.m. after investigation by a marshal-led fugitive task force.

A warrant was issued for McGowan's arrest in connection with a Dec. 12, 2002 killing of a man in Compton, Calif.

A second suspect in the murder, Lance Hicks, 18, remains at large, marshals said.

McGowan will be returned to Compton to face murder charges.