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November 22, 2009

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Report: Relay runner’s partner saw fatal crash

Man held in runner’s death said ‘please don’t call the police,’ report shows

Image

Courtesy Ragnar Relay Series

Jeremy Kunz and his wife, Melinda, at the Ragnar Relay Las Vegas starting line.

By Mary Manning (contact)

Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 | 12:29 p.m.

Click to enlarge photo

Joshua Salayich

Sun Archives

Approximate area of crash

Funeral services were held today in Utah for a relay race runner struck and killed by a suspected drunken driver this past weekend in Henderson. Meanwhile, new details in the case emerged today in an arrest report.

The report describes how 33-year-old Jeremy Kunz's running partner, Brendan Parry, had been standing 50 feet away from Kunz, both of them on a dirt shoulder of Horizon Ridge Parkway, when Parry saw a vehicle heading toward them at a high rate of speed.

Parry was able to jump out of the way of a silver 2005 Nissan Altima four-door vehicle as it careened off the pavement into the dirt shoulder, the police report said. Police said the Nissan was heading east about 4:30 a.m. Saturday when it left the pavement, struck Kunz and dragged him across the westbound lanes of Horizon Ridge, overturning once and coming to rest upright.

Parry saw a man digging through the glove compartment and when Parry told the man he had hit someone, the man staggered away and yelled, "Please don't call the police," the arrest report indicated.

The man, identified as 25-year-old Joshua Salayich of Henderson, then ran about half a mile away until Henderson police officers caught up with him, authorities said. After a struggle, they handcuffed and arrested him.

Salayich has been arrested in connection with driving under the influence of alcohol with death, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting an officer, Henderson police said.

Salayich had minor injuries to his head, neck and hands and wasn't wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, the police report said. He repeatedly denied he had been driving the Nissan, but police found footprints matching the soles of his shoes both on the driver's side and the passenger's side of the car, the police report said.

A fund for Kunz's three children has been set up at Nevada State Bank branches and anyone interested in donating also may contact the Ragnar Relay Series by e-mail at dan@ragnarrelay.com with the word "donate" in the subject line.

Kunz was one of about 2,400 people taking part in a 180-mile run from Valley of Fire State Park to Red Rock Resort. His wife, Melinda, also participated in the Ragnar Relay run.

Discussion: 10 comments so far…

  1. By reader1
    10/15/09 at 12:54 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    What time of day did this happen?

  2. By Emily Richmond (Staff)
    10/15/09 at 1:32 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    reader1 -- As the story notes in the third paragraph, it was at about 4:30 a.m.

  3. By logic_should_rule
    10/15/09 at 2:26 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Hopefully this scumbag gets a long, long sentence in a prison where he gets assaulted multiple times.

  4. By Casper
    10/15/09 at 3:06 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    When this story initially came out, several people wrote not to judge Salayich because he was just a good kid that made a mistake. Let's see...driving drunk, killing someone, fleeing the scene, then lying about it. I don't think I'll be counting on those people who wrote to defend him when I check on personal references for prospective employees

  5. By Mike123
    10/15/09 at 4:55 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    From the previous article....Speeding, no headlights, seen earlier running red lights and the cops had to chase him down & finally caught him 6 blocks away.

    He's headed to prison for a long, long time

  6. By LT2LV
    10/15/09 at 7:41 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    That scumbag needs to be locked up for life.

    My most heartfelt condolences to Mr Kunz's family.

  7. By isohatethem
    10/15/09 at 8:01 p.m.

    Comment removed by staff.

  8. By kade8888
    10/16/09 at 6:52 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Before you people go on wishing bad things to someone you don't even know, there were NO sings, cones, police, any kind of lighting letting drivers know there was a race going on at all hours of the night AT ALL!!!! Or that cops were called 5 minutes prior to the accident that there was a reckless driver on horizon ridge, why were they not able to get to him before the accident? Where are police when you need them? As for being locked up for life or a long time that is up to the Judge not you people that is why you are NOT a judge!!!!!!! For you several people that made these comments above do not act for one second that you have never made a mistake or a bad decision!!! NOONE is perfect!

  9. By Seriously
    10/17/09 at 5:53 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    This piece of garbage needs to rot in a cell for 20 years while be traded for packs of cigarettes.

  10. By geenab65
    10/17/09 at 8:07 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Kade8888, unfortunately the young man was driving drunk. Had he not killed anyone, this wouldn't even be news and no one would care. Yes, there were many mistakes made and no one is perfect, but as adults we have choices to make. Someone else's choice caused the death of another.

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