Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the pedestrian hit shortly after midnight on Sunday, February 16 in Reno. 65-year-old Randy Billaber died after a car rolled onto him near the intersection of Galletti Way and Kietzke Lane near the border of the Nevada city of Sparks. He died immediately. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. It is believed that Billaber was homeless.
Authorities believe that impairment was a factor in the crash. The driver of the vehicle was injured, but the injuries were only minor. He was taken to the hospital.
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Initially, Billaber was trapped under the vehicle after it rolled over him.
Reno Police Department reported that Northbound Kietzke Lane was closed between Kuenzli Street and Galletti Way but reopened at 5:45 a.m.
Law enforcement officials trying to improve safety on Nevada’s roads are warning that impaired drivers continue to be a contributing factor in the majority of fatal traffic crashes in the state.
The Nevada Department of Public Safety says 55.4% of the 893 fatal crashes in Nevada were caused by a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a combination of both over the three-year period from 2016 to 2018. They accounted for 55.9% of the state’s 967 roadway deaths during that span.
The story is still in development. The driver will be tested for drug and alcohol use, but the victim could have been impaired himself.