Driver indicted in injury to news anchor

Erica D. Johnson

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2003 | 10:19 a.m.

The man authorities say drove drunk and rear-ended Channel 8 news anchor Gary Waddell as Waddell was riding his motorcycle between Laughlin and Las Vegas will face DUI charges in District Court.

An indictment unsealed Wednesday before District Judge David Wall charges Gary Dale Busby, 50, with two counts driving under the influence causing death or substantial bodily harm in the April 26 collision that left Waddell with three broken ribs.

Wall issued a warrant for Busby's arrest and set bail at $100,000.

Prosecutors say Busby was driving a 1996 Honda northbound on State Route 163 near Searchlight when he approached an accident site where Nevada Highway Patrol officers had used flares to divert traffic to the left side of the road.

Waddell had stopped in the right shoulder of the road to talk to the officers when Busby veered to the right and careened into Waddell, who was still sitting on his 1999 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, authorities say.

Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Erick Mulkey, who was investigating the scene, was also injured in the crash, Clark County prosecutor Bruce Nelson said.

"The trooper dove out of the way to avoid the bike and he was partially struck by one of the bikes," Nelson said.

Nelson said Busby was "severely intoxicated" when the collision occurred. Busby's blood alcohol level was 0.20 when taken about an hour and a half after the crash, he said.

A new state law lowering the legal limit to .08 will go into effect Sept. 23.

Busby's attorney, Deputy Public Defender James Ruggeroli, could not be reached for comment.

The grand jury also indicted Leonel Ibarra-Herrera, 25, on a DUI charge in a collision in Las Vegas on Aug. 23.

Prosecutors say Herrera was driving northbound on Decatur Boulevard when he struck and killed Delores Arana Lopez, a pedestrian.

He faces one count each of DUI causing death or substantial bodily harm, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and involuntary manslaughter.

Lopez was crossing Decatur Boulevard in a crosswalk at a traffic light. She had stopped on a concrete median when she was hit, prosecutor Gary Booker said.

Herrera carried Lopez on his hood about 200 feet and then fled the scene, Booker said.

When he was arrested a short time later, Booker said, Herrera told police "he'd had 24 Corona beers and six shots of tequila" before the accident.

His blood alcohol level was 0.12 and he also had cocaine in his system, Booker said.