Winnie A. Hansen

NEVADA STATE JOURNAL

December 28, 1950

VEGAS DEPUTY KILLED BY CAR

Another Driver Faces Charges

Vern West, 39 year old musician, faced possible manslaughter charges at Las Vegas yesterday following the death of Clark County Sheriff W. A. Hansen.

The 57-year-old deputy died in Clark County General Hospital Tuesday night as result of injuries received when he was struck by a car on highway 93 near Boulder City a few hours earlier.

Officers said West was driver of the car and charged him with reckless driving while intoxicated.

he accident occurred while the sheriff’s deputy was questioning another driver suspected of being intoxicated. He was standing beside the automobile when West’s car came past and hit him, inflicting fatal internal injuries which resulted in death soon afterward.

The deputy was thrown 30 feet by the impact, and West’s car then veered to one side and smashed into the sheriff’s car which had been driven by Hansen and which was parked beside the highway.

It is reported that the veteran deputy had noticed the first motorist driving in an erratic manner and had stopped him at the side of the road for investigation.

Sheriff Glen Jones said West would now probably be charged with manslaughter.

Deputy Hansen was the second person in Clark County to lose his life during the last eight days at the hands of an alleged drunken driver.

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