Man whose daughter died in crash commits suicide

Thursday, March 3, 2005 | 10:52 a.m.

A 42-year-old Las Vegas man whose 16-year-old daughter died after a highly publicized May 2002 traffic accident took his own life Sunday, authorities said.

David Troester died from carbon monoxide poisoning from inhaling automobile exhaust Sunday, almost three years after the crash that left two teens dead and three others severely injured.

His daughter, 16-year-old Ashley Troester, was driving herself and four other students back to Las Vegas High School after leaving the campus for Burger King when she lost control of her 1987 Ford Thunderbird on a curve on Sahara Avenue and struck a light pole.

The crash happened less than two miles from the school.

Ashley Troester, who did not have her driver's license, died at University Medical Center three days later. One of her passengers, 17-year-old Natasha Keeter, died at the scene.

Three other students were severely injured in the crash. One, Ashley Biersach, had the lower part of her right leg amputated after her pelvis and back were crushed in the crash.

A suit later filed on Biersach's behalf named David Troester as a defendant, saying he and the Clark County School District were to blame for letting an unlicensed driver behind the wheel. The school district was later dropped from the suit.

Leo Flangas, the Las Vegas attorney who represented Troester, was unavailable for comment this morning.