CHP officer involved in fatal accident on Hwy. 50
Updated: Jan. 1 2pm.
By Kathryn Reed
A 21-year-old Walnut Creek man died early New Year’s morning when he was struck by two vehicles on Highway 50 in Stateline.
The name of the victim is not being released pending notification of next of kin.
A California Highway Patrol vehicle first struck the man. The force sent the person into the westbound lane where he was lodged in the undercarriage of a Reno-Tahoe Transportation van. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officer Joshua J. Varanini was traveling home to Truckee after working New Year’s Eve on the South Shore. CHP in the Truckee office could not say whether Varanini would be placed on administrative leave while NHP investigates the accident.
NHP Trooper Chuck Allen told Lake Tahoe News that Varanini swerved to try to avoid hitting the victim.
The accident occurred at 12:44am Jan. 1.
Allen did not know if the pedestrian was trying to cross the street or was wandering in the highway. He said the victim appeared to have alcohol in his system.
There is no crosswalk in this area of the four-lane highway east of Kingsbury Grade near Lake Village. And it is dark, with minimal or no lighting.
Other law enforcement news:
The names of the Incline Village residents who were killed Friday walking across Highway 28 have been released. They are husband and wife — 46-year-old Robert C. Mathis and 46-year-old Linda Mathis.
Officers on the South Shore are reporting most of the New Year’s Eve revelry in the casino area and at the SnowGlobe Music Festival at Lake Tahoe Community College being uneventful from a law enforcement perspective.
About 30,000 people were in the casino area, down from previous years. This is attributed to the nearly 10,000 who were at SnowGlobe New Year’s Eve. (More than 9,500 attended the first night and more than 10,000 the second night.)
Highway 50 in front of the casinos was closed about 10:30pm, as is customary. But the masses did not fill the roadway until just before midnight when people streamed out of the casinos. The road reopened about 12:30am.
Douglas County sheriff’s deputies arrested 10 people in casino area on charges of battery, domestic battery, battery on a peace officer, disorderly conduct, trespassing, minor consuming alcohol and civil protective custody. One person was arrested outside the casino core area on driving under the influence charges.
South Lake Tahoe officers arrested two people for public intoxication and El Dorado sheriff’s deputies made four public intoxication arrests – all in the Stateline area.
Four people were also arrested at SnowGlobe Saturday night for public intoxication.
“The two nights before there were some drunk cases – nothing really significant or unexpected,” South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler told Lake Tahoe News of SnowGlobe. “The entire three days the crime levels were minimal.”
The promoters of SnowGlobe do face criminal charges for going beyond the time limit of their permit on the second night. Uhler said they have been cited and his department will follow up with the El Dorado County District Attorneys Office.
OMG, another pedestrian tragedy! Sounds like he was no where near a crosswalk, and was intoxicated, bad recipe for crossing the street around here! Still very sad :(
Good to hear the police report, that trouble was at a minimum :)
Thoughts and prayers go to his family. :(
Maybe Nevada will put some kind of lights out in that area, it is very dark there, there has been accidents there before because of how dark it is. Been here many years an driving through there is dark.
I was in the traffic tailback last night after the accident. There were several intoxicated people just wandering around in the traffic lanes of Highway 50 in that area, it was crazy as well as almost impossible to see them.
My condolences to his family.
Amazing on our end the lake a visitor gets killed my law-enforcement.OVERTIME FATIGUE-WORK STRESS-BAD NIGHT VISION?
SUE and Big Time Liability Suit for Sure.
WE did see for the “first time” a lack of Rowdy people parking in the neighborhoods this year,it’s the first time in the State-line area,the Noise maker really did draw them down to the college HOE-DOWN, PUFF OUT.
It’s a first in all the years the “Casino free for All”, didn’t make much Noise.
No beer bottles in the yards,no broken glass in the streets,trash,no peeing on the snowmen that didn’t make it this year,no crying young females going home heart broken,lack of screeching tires,screaming,fights,it really was a pleasant peaceful new years as far as rage goes, we did have more people turn up their personal music machines, but all in all, everybody did there thing, no one cared.
All was calm by 3-a.m., as we sat around a roaring deck fireplace with sleep creeping into our pass new years parties MEMORIES with the local neighbors,pups.We all love our little paradise and good neighbors, friends,visitors that stop tell hell-o.
This really was a different new years eve.
The smoke out,boom out,drum out, did bring Harmony to some.
Very sad :(. I do believe the new housing project at Lake Village wanted to add a stop light with crosswalks there. That would help for the future if that is still on the plans.
My prayers and condolences go out to the family of this wonderful boy.
We are so saddened about the victim (family friend). He will be missed by all that knew him. Our condolances to his family.