Relatives of Wheelchair-Bound Man Killed in Traffic Accident Say Police
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YOUR COMMUNITY SPARKS NEWSPAPER SINCE 1910 Tribune sparks SPARKS Company brushing artificial turf at Golden Eagle Regional Park Page 3 TribuneYOURYOUR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERNEWSPAPER SINCE SINCE 1910 1910 Volume 107, Number 45 Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015 95 cents spOrTs sEarchINg fOr aNswErs Senators pull away to end Cougars’ season Page 7 Douglas eliminates Reed in quarterfinals John Byrne/Tribune Elizabeth Estes, left, and her brother, Don Duckett, pose with photos of their dad, Donald Duckett, who died after he Page 9 was struck by a car while crossing Prater Way in his motorized wheelchair. INsIDE Relatives of wheelchair-bound man killed Weather.............................2 State Briefs........................2 in traffic accident say police ignored them Library News....................4 Pages of the Past...............4 School lunch menu..........4 By Kent Lauer a traffic ticket at the scene for failing cident scene. The victim’s son, Don Opinion...........................14 Sparks Tribune to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Duckett, rushed to the hospital. The Puzzles.............................18 A month later, the driver, identified victim’s daughter, Elizabeth Estes, who Advice..............................19 Donald Duckett was struck by a car as Phuoc Thanh Luan, walked into was in San Diego at the time, grabbed Seniors ............................20 while riding his motorized wheelchair Sparks Municipal Court and paid a $175 a flight home. Duckett, who was con- Classified ads..................21 in a crosswalk on Prater Way at Lillard fine at the counter, records show. fined to a wheelchair after suffering a Legal ads..........................22 Drive shortly before 6 p.m. on Sept. 19. Because the Sparks Police Depart- stroke, was living at the home of Estes The 77-year-old man, known by ment didn’t release any information, and her husband a few blocks from the neighborhood children as the “Red the accident didn’t find its way onto any accident scene. Follow us on Rocket” because of his red wheelchair, local TV newscasts or on the pages of For weeks after Duckett’s death, fam- Twitter: was taken to Renown Regional Medical any newspaper. Duckett’s death, and ily members said they made numerous @SparksTribune Center where he was pronounced dead the details of how he died, would go phone calls to Sparks police seeking in- the next day of multiple blunt-force largely unnoticed, confined to a routine formation about the accident. trauma. traffic accident report. They said they didn’t get any informa- The driver who ran into Duckett and Duckett’ family members in Sparks tion beyond the standard response that his wheelchair near the Sparks Police first learned of the tragedy from a Department headquarters was given friend who had come across the ac- > See ACCIDENT, Page 16 Visit our new website at www.sparkstrib.com 2 Nov. 10, 2015 yOur sEVEN-Day fOrEcasT today wEDNEsDAY ThursDAY frIDAY SATurDAY suNDAY MONDAY 41/15 44/18 41/18 43/21 51/27 55/33 49/27 Mostly sunny and Mostly sunny and Mostly sunny and Sunny and cold Cool with plenty Partly sunny and Mostly sunny cold cold cold of sunshine cool NEws frOM arOuND ThE battlE bOrN sTaTE Associated Press The U.S. Centers for Disease Con- contestants in its Healthy Commu- with pricey bottle-service? A little trol and Prevention said it doesn’t nities Challenge. The city qualified privacy, according to Wynn Las Ve- even label death among children un- because it has significant room for gas. Fallon man sentenced For der 10 to technically be considered a improvement in its insurance rate. The casino-resort is betting its elite disrupting meeting suicide in its National Violent Death About 61,000 people were covered clientele looking for a night out will RENO — A man who caused the Reporting System because premedi- as of this summer through the Silver appreciate a social media-free zone evacuation of a government meeting tation involves understanding death. State Health Insurance Exchange, when its new nightclub called In- in Reno by pretending to drink weed In a statement, the federal agency which was created as part of Obama’s trigue debuts in April. killer while protesting the city’s use said: “... they lack the capability to un- health care overhaul. It’s meant for The venue will replace the 10-year- of pesticides has been sentenced to a derstand the finality of ending their people who don’t have insurance old Tryst, which closed Saturday. month in jail. life and, developmentally, they may through their employer or another Wynn Las Vegas vice president Ross Tisevich of Fallon pleaded lack the coping skills to deal with the government program. of operations Sean Christie says the guilty to a misdemeanor charge of stressors that contribute to their sui- Most of the customers who enroll social-posting ban will apply only disturbing a meeting after drinking a cidal feelings.” in plans through the exchange re- inside a smaller, invite-only area that green liquid from a plastic Roundup ceive subsidies that lower the cost of fits about 150 people. bottle during a September meeting airline plans non-stop insurance. He doesn’t expect to act the role in the Washoe County Commission Flight From reno to orange of social media police, and there county chambers. state seeks dismissal oF won’t be any signal blockers. But County and city officials were RENO — Alaska Airlines plans to school-choice lawsuit staff likely will offer gentle remind- placed under quarantine for several offer daily nonstop service between CARSON CITY — Nevada is fight- ers that no posting is allowed inside hours before a Hazmat team cleared Reno and Orange County, California, ing back against the second of two le- the private room. Christie says those the area. next year. gal challenges that seek to dismantle who post anyway risk losing their Tisevich spent 11 days in jail following Reno-Tahoe International Airport the state’s broad new school choice exclusive but free membership to the his arrest Sept. 21. Justice of the Peace officials said the airline will begin program. club. Scott Pearson sentenced him last week nonstop flights between Reno and The Nevada Attorney General’s to six months in jail, but suspended all John Wayne International Airport Office asked a court last Thursday to prosecutor creates unit but 30 days. He also ordered him to un- in the Los Angeles area beginning dismiss a lawsuit filed against Educa- to handle crimes against elderly dergo a mental health evaluation, pay March 16. tion Savings Accounts by Democratic $250 restitution and perform 120 hours Alaska’s sister carrier, Horizon Air, former state Sen. Justin Jones and LAS VEGAS — The district attor- community service. will fly the route with a 76-seat Bom- others. The program allows parents ney in Las Vegas is responding to bardier Q400. to claim a portion of their child’s per- cases involving crimes against people 8-year-old boy’s death ruled The flight will leave Reno at 10:15 a.m. pupil state education funding and 60 and over by assigning a team of suicide and arrive in Orange County at 11:37 use it toward expenses such as pri- prosecutors to handle them. LAS VEGAS — Authorities say the a.m. It will leave Orange County at 2:45 vate school tuition. The move last week followed the death of an 8-year-old Las Vegas boy p.m. and arrive in Reno at 4:05 p.m. The suit asserts that the new law submittal of almost 100 cases from found shot to death last month has Alaska will offer fares as low as $79 violates a portion of the Nevada Con- police in the Las Vegas area that qual- been ruled a suicide. Experts say his to celebrate the new service. The dis- stitution barring the use of state ed- ified for elder abuse prosecution in death is especially tragic because a counted tickets much be purchased ucation funds outside of the public 2014 and the first half of 2015, Clark boy that young does not understand by Nov. 9 and travel must be com- school system. County District Attorney Steve Wolf- that death is final. pleted by June 8. The attorney general argues that son said in a statement. The Las Vegas case was reported the Legislature has broad powers to Sheri “Sugar” Vogel, director of the Oct. 10, when the boy was found shot health insurance sign-ups encourage education by all suitable Southern Nevada Senior Law Pro- at his home. He was pronounced could land las Vegas Visit means. gram in Las Vegas, said Thursday From obama dead at the scene with a self-inflicted The program also faces a lawsuit that many cases involve victims who wound to his head. LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas could win from the American Civil Liberties know their abuser, and authorities The Clark County Coroner’s office a visit from President Barack Obama Union. believe just one out of five cases gets last week ruled his death a suicide, if enough people sign up for insurance reported. the youngest such death in the county through the health exchange. nightclub to Feature social “Seniors are easy prey,” Vogel said. in recent memory. The next youngest The White House announced last media-Free zone “Unfortunately, many of the abusers suicide case involved a 10-year-old. week that Las Vegas was one of 20 LAS VEGAS — What goes well are family members or caregivers.” Nov. 10, 2015 3 Veterans Day: A simple thank-you goes a long way By Heather Lara the Reno Vet Center, said Sparks Tribune Veterans Day is an impor- tant day to remember the This Veterans Day, mil- veterans who have served lions of active duty, reserve and those who are still serv- and retired military veterans ing in the military.