Driver in fatal accident near Fallon arrested for felony DUI (Updated)
Submitted by editor on Thu, 11/11/2010 - 10:05am
The driver of a truck that crossed a center turn lane, striking a car that killed a 19-year-old Fallon woman on Monday faces a felony charge in the woman's death, the Nevada Highway Patrol reports this morning.
Justin Speed, 21, of Fallon was arrested Wednesday and booked on charges of felony driving under the influence that caused death; felony failure to maintain a travel lane and speeding. He is being held on $251,344 bond and remains in the Churchill County jail, said NHP Trooper Chuck Allen.
Speed is a U.S. Army soldier who was on emergency leave visiting family in the Fallon area, Allen said. The Lahontan Valley News is reporting that Speed's brother, Michael Joseph Allen-East, was killed recently killed in a vehicle accident, while on leave with injuries he received in Afghanistan. Allen said the NHP would not confirm this information.
The NHP Northern Command-Major Accident Investigation Team continues to investigate the Monday morning head-on crash that killed 19-year-old Samantha Sibis of Fallon.
She had been traveling eastbound on Highway 50 near McLean Road around 5:30 am in her 1983 Volvo station wagon when she was hit by a 2007 Chevrolet pickup, driven by Speed, who was driving in the westbound lane. Speed allowed the truck to cross the center turn lane which divides the four-lane highway and traveled directly into her path, according to the NHP.
The severity of the head-on collision blocked both eastbound lanes for several hours and resulted in fatal injuries to the young woman, while Mr. Speed sustained non life-threatening injuries and was initially transported to Banner Churchill Community Hospital in Fallon.
Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. He was medically discharged from the Reno hospital late yesterday afternoon, taken into custody by NHP troopers and placed under arrest, Allen said.
He was transported to the detention facility at the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office where he was booked on the charges and remains in the Churchill County jail this morning.
