Holiday wrecks leave 3 dead

Eric Leake and Christina Littlefield

Monday, Dec. 27, 2004 | 11:15 a.m.

Three people were killed in traffic collisions over the holiday weekend, bringing the total traffic deaths in Metro Police's jurisdiction to 143 so far this year, a 14 percent increase over the total for all of last year.

There were 126 traffic deaths in Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County in 2003, Metro Detective Bob Holland said.

This year's increase in traffic fatalities should not be a surprise in light of the increase in the overall population, but 143 deaths "is still 143 too many," Holland said.

The collisions this weekend killed 19-year-old Ashley Swain of North Las Vegas, 79-year-old John Rachal of Las Vegas and 62-year-old Idelsa Ricardo-Batista of Las Vegas.

Swain died Sunday morning when a Silver State Disposal Truck rolled onto her vehicle, Nevada Highway Patrol reported.

Swain was exiting Interstate 15 northbound on the Cheyenne Avenue ramp in her Chevy Suburban about 2:10 a.m. The Silver State truck took a curve too fast and rolled onto the woman's suburban, killing her, highway patrol troopers said.

The name of the Silver State driver has not been released. Charges are pending.

Rachal was hit and killed Christmas Day as he attempted to cross Main Street, Metro Police reported.

The 79-year-old pedestrian was crossing Main Street at around 7:50 p.m. just north of Stewart Avenue when he stepped into the path of a vehicle driven by Jeffrey Raffensparger, 47. Raffensparger was northbound on Main Street in his Dodge Durango at the time. He told police he tried to avoid the man but was unable to, Holland said.

The collision was due to pedestrian error because Rachal was not in the crosswalk, Holland said.

Ricardo-Batista also died Christmas Day, when the 1988 Buick LaSaber she was riding in collided with a 1989 Lincoln Town Car in the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Valley View Boulevard about 6:15 a.m. Saturday.

Her son, Hector Merino, 45, was driving westbound on Sahara and the driver of the other vehicle, Leshawn Underwood, 20, was northbound when the cars collided, Holland said.

One of the drivers must have ran a red light, but both claimed the light was green when they entered the intersection, Holland said.

Underwood was treated and released at UMC for moderate injuries, Holland said. Merino was admitted to the hospital for moderate injuries.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Ronald Soriano of Las Vegas remained in critical condition this morning at UMC after his 1997 Kia Sephia hit a shelter for bus passengers and also struck large landscaping rocks. Soriano apparently lost control of his car about 7:12 a.m. Saturday on North Las Vegas Boulevard near Walnut Road.

Soriano drifted right out of his lane while northbound on the boulevard, Holland said. Soriano's car rolled one and a half times, coming to rest in a desert area.

No one was injured in the bus shelter.