Associated Press
2 Killed, 1 Hurt in Lyon County Crash that Closed US 95-A
SILVER SPRINGS — The Nevada Highway Patrol is investigating a head-on crash in Lyon County that killed two people over the weekend and shut down a state highway for several hours.
The patrol says two people in a southbound Chevrolet Sonic died in the crash with a pickup truck at about 5:30 a.m. Saturday on U.S. 95-A near Wabuska between Yerington and Silver Springs.
A person in the northbound truck was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
No names have been released.
Witnesses told investigators the driver of the Chevy was driving recklessly prior to the accident.
The highway was closed in both directions until about 9 a.m.
Inmate who Escaped Nevada Facility Arrested in Reno
RENO — A Nevada inmate who walked away from a minimum-security facility outside Carson City was arrested following a confrontation with a security guard at a Reno mobile home park.
Authorities say 51-year-old James Park escaped from Stewart Conservation Camp on Aug. 18 and was taken into custody Wednesday.
The security guard was stabbed in the neck but able to take Parks into custody.
Park was sentenced by a Washoe District Court judge in June to a sentence of 12-36 months on convictions for attempted burglary and uttering a forged instrument.
New allegations against Park include battery with a deadly weapon, possession of an illegal substance and escape by a felony prisoner.
Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2017 Killing in Reno
RENO — A man convicted of murder in a 2017 Reno killing has been sentenced to life in prison.
The District Attorney’s Office announced Friday that a judge sentenced Dontay Thor Sevier to life in prison without the possibility of parole on his murder conviction plus 20 years for a deadly weapon enhancement.
Sevier was returned to Nevada in early 2018 from Tempe, Arizona, to face charges in the death of 26-yearold Vidal Smith.
Smith was found dead on a downtown Reno street on Aug. 31, 2017.
A jury convicted Sevier in June after a weeklong trial.
Nevada Court Cites Gun Rights in Domestic Violence Ruling
LAS VEGAS — A change in Nevada state law to ban gun ownership by people convicted of domestic violence led the state Supreme Court to expand provisions for jury trials in misdemeanor cases.
A unanimous ruling Thursday points to a 2015 law that justices say means a conviction for misdemeanor domestic violence can no longer be considered a petty offense.
The court calls limiting state and U.S. Constitutional rights to own a gun a serious penalty that a jury should decide.
Michael Pariente, the attorney who won the ruling on behalf of Christopher Anderson, says it brings Nevada in line with all but a few other U.S. states.
It could also lead to increased costs in a state where officials tallied more than 30,000 domestic violence arrests in 2017, including more than 21,000 in and around Las Vegas.
Hot Air Balloon Crash Near Las Vegas Under Investigation
LAS VEGAS — U.S. authorities are investigating a hot air balloon crash in Nevada that injured at least seven people Thursday when its basket tipped over after hitting the ground, authorities said Friday.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the agency and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash that involved nine people.
Gregor said in an email a preliminary review found the Kubicek balloon made a hard landing Thursday, and the pilot and four passengers were thrown from the gondola.
“The balloon continued bouncing along the ground for approximately a half-mile, during which time the other four passengers were ejected,” Gregor said.
The crash occurred in Goodsprings, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Las Vegas.
Six people injured in a hot air balloon crash in Nevada have been released from the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, hospital spokesman Scott Kerbs said.
One woman was flown to a hospital with serious injuries but was expected to live, hospital officials said. She was listed in fair condition.
It’s unclear why the balloon had an abrupt landing, officials said.
It could take the National Transportation Safety Board a year or more before releasing its findings on the crash, Gregor said.
Highway Patrol: Wrong-way Vehicle in 2 Collisions on I-80
SPARKS — Nevada authorities say a wrong-way vehicle was involved in two collisions on Interstate 80 in Sparks early Friday.
The Highway Patrol says one collision occurred when a trooper tried to intercept the wrong-way pickup and the second involved a commercial truck.
According to the Highway Patrol, the pickup continued driving eastbound in westbound lanes after each collision but stopped after hitting the center median barrier.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of multiple crimes, including driving under the influence causing substantial bodily injury.
The Highway Patrol identified the driver as 19-year-old Mason Alan Johnston of Loyalton, California. It’s not immediately known whether he has an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
The trooper involved in the first collision suffered injuries that weren’t life threatening. The trooper’s vehicle was totaled.
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