News briefs for June 16, 2005

Thursday, June 16, 2005 | 11:17 a.m.

Man, 81, killed crossing street

An 81-year-old Las Vegas man was killed Wednesday as he attempted to cross a street in his motorized wheelchair, Metro Police said.

Alfred Gomez was struck in his wheelchair on Flamingo Road near Mojave Road around 12:45 p.m., police said.

Police said Gomez crossed two lanes of eastbound traffic before he was struck in the third. He died at the scene.

Megan Duncan, 20, was driving the 2004 Hyundai Accent that hit the man. Police did not cite Duncan in the collision, saying it appeared pedestrian error was the cause. Gomez was not in a crosswalk, police said.

The collision occurred near the Atria Sutton Terrace assisted living center, but an employee at the center said Gomez was not a resident of that center.

Motorcyclist hit by SUV, dies

A 45-year-old motorcyclist died Wednesday when he was hit by an SUV, Metro Police said.

Police reported that Las Vegas resident Jeffrey Allen Kahn was riding his 2001 Kawasaki Ninja sport bike north on Paradise Road about 12:15 p.m. when he was struck.

Russell Wige, 43, was stopped on Grier Drive waiting to turn left in his 1991 Nissan Pathfinder onto southbound Paradise Road. Police said Wige apparently did not see the motorcyclist through traffic as he turned in front of Kahn.

Kahn attempted to stop, dropped the bike, and slid beneath the left rear tire of the Pathfinder, police said. He died at the scene.

Police said it appeared that Wige's failure to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign caused the collision.

Five injured in crash at shopping center

A 1990 Honda 4-door leaving a shopping center driveway at Craig Road east of Clayton Street about 8 p.m. Wednesday crashed into a red 2002 Pontiac coupe, sending five people to the hospital, North Las Vegas Police said.

The Pontiac, driven by Dale Yiconne, hit the left side of the Honda,, driven by Benjamin Lee, pushing both vehicles into the center of eastbound Craig, police said. Ages of the two drivers were not available.

Five people in the Honda were taken to University Medical Center Trauma Unit, police said.

Late Wednesday police said two young people and one senior passenger were reported to have internal injuries. Another youngster was in surgery and listed in guarded condition.

Police said there was evidence that seat belts were not worn by anyone in the Honda.

Fire damage set at $250,000

Clark County Fire Department investigators estimate that a fire at a former restaurant at Flamingo and Paradise roads did $250,000 worth of damage.

The blaze broke out about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday to the former Hamada Japanese restaurant, County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said.

No one was injured, Leinbach said.

The site of the fire is expected to be developed as high rises in the future.

Medical malpractice case reinstated

The Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a medical malpractice case filed by Linda S. Sandoval, whose husband died of cirrhosis in Clark County in 1998.

District Judge Jackie Glass had dismissed the suit against Dr. Danka Michaels on grounds that Sandoval had filed the suit past the deadline.

The Supreme Court said Sandoval filed her complaint in district court on Dec. 3, 2002, before the statute of limitations ran out on Dec. 27, 2002.

The court also dismissed the petition of Keith J. Shanley, sentenced in October 2000 to two consecutive life terms in prison with parole for murder.

The court rejected claims that Shanley's attorney was ineffective at trial.

Man arrested in shooting death

Metro Police on Wednesday arrested a one-eyed man who allegedly shot and killed another man Tuesday at an apartment on 14th Street and Bonanza Road.

Jose Cordova, 39, was taken into custody by police in the parking lot of a convenience store at Bonanza and Eastern.

The victim, whose name had not been released by the coroner this morning, was trying to protect a woman from Cordova, whom police said was violent.

The woman, Cordova's girlfriend, sought shelter and protection in her friend's apartment, police said. Cordova showed up at the apartment, and when the victim answered the door, he said the girlfriend wasn't there.

Cordova then shot the man, killing him, Monahan said.