Two die in weekend traffic accidents

Monday, Nov. 24, 2003 | 11:11 a.m.

It was another deadly weekend on the Las Vegas Valley roadways as traffic accidents killed an 18-year-old driver and a man who hit a highway guardrail and was ejected from his truck and then run over by two other vehicles, police said.

The 18-year-old died about 11:20 p.m. Sunday when the teen swerved to try to avoid another vehicle and was struck by two other cars on Nellis Boulevard near Wyoming Avenue, Metro Police said.

Mark Pagadun, 25, of Hawaii, suffered moderate injuries when his 1996 Ford sport utility vehicle hit the teen's 1993 Pontiac two-door sedan after it spun out of control and over the median into the oncoming traffic. Pagadun had been unable to avoid the Pontiac police said.

The teen was ejected from the Pontiac and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. That death raised the Metro jurisdiction traffic fatality total to 109 for the year, police said.

And early Saturday morning, a man was killed after he hit a highway guardrail, was knocked out of his his pickup truck and was run over by two other vehicles on U.S. 95 early Saturday morning, Nevada Highway Patrol troopers said.

The man's name has not been released. He was driving a 2001 Chevrolet pickup truck north on U.S. 95 near Ann Road when he lost control of the truck after driving onto the shoulder about 5 a.m., NHP said.

There were several other serious accidents over the weekend as well.

A 6-month-old baby was left in critical condition Sunday night after his family's car was hit by an allegedly drunken driver, a Metro traffic assistance volunteer said.

The infant, Rafael Sanchez, had been in the arms of his mother, 22-year-old Veronica Rosalez-Sanchez, at the time of the crash that occurred shortly before 6 p.m. at Pecos Road and Washington Avenue, police said.

The mother, father and 2-year-old Moses Sanchez-De Jesus, were not seriously hurt, police said.

Rafael was rushed to University Medical Center in very critical condition Sunday night, a police volunteer said.

Joseph Angelcor, 63, of Las Vegas, was the driver of the 1995 Toyota Avalon that hit the family's 1987 Nissan 300ZX. He was arrested and charged with four felony counts of DUI.

Angelcor could face further charges if Rafael dies, investigating officers said.

In another crash, a Ford Expedition with improper license plates was being pursued by Metro Police about 11:45 a.m. Sunday near Flamingo Road and Mountain Vista St.

The driver sped away and led police on a two-mile chase that ended on Desert Inn Road one block west of Boulder Highway when the black Expedition hit a brown Dodge Caravan, and a white 1997 Ford F-150 pickup in turn struck the Expedition, police said.

The Expedition's driver, 23-year-old Frank Rubalcaba of Las Vegas, was thrown out of the vehicle and was in critical condition at University Medical Center, police said. A third person tried to run away, but police caught him.

Police said they found stolen property in the Expedition. The 84-year-old driver of the van, Raul Mosqugda of Las Vegas, suffered moderate injuries, and a one of the four passengers in the pickup, Katrina Figueroa, aged unavailable, suffered serious injuries.

The pickup was carrying a Las Vegas family including a 4-year-old girl, who suffered only minor inuries, police said.

Law enforcement officers also were hurt in a crash over the weekend.

Two NHP troopers were treated and released at University Medical Center about 8:15 a.m. on Sunday after their vehicle was struck by a black 1989 Toyota pickup truck while they were conducting a routine traffic stop.

The Toyota was traveling north on Interstate 15 near the Desert Inn overpass when it made a lane change and veered right, approaching a slower-moving vehicle and braked. The Toyota's driver lost control of the pickup and struck a concrete barrier.

As the Toyota skidded on the freeway, it rotated and its right side struck the NHP patrol car in the rear, pushing it forward. The Toyota spun around and struck the left side of the patrol vehicle. Both troopers were inside.

The crash closed I-15 northbound until 1 p.m. The Toyota's driver was not injured and charges are still pending.