$1.25 million in bail ordered in traffic death

A Texas man driving a truck with Oregon license plates has been ordered held on $1.25 million bail over a high speed police chase that left a Las Vegas man dead and a police officer injured.

Timothy Fonseca, who already was in jail awaiting a preliminary hearing on a variety of felony charges, was indicted Wednesday by a Clark County grand jury over the June 1 collision at Pecos Road and Cheyenne Avenue.

The indictment replaces the need for a Justice Court preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to hold the defendant for trial in District Court.

Fonseca faces charges that include drunken driving, involuntary manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving and battery on a police officer.

Deputy District Attorney James Hartsell said the incident began when a Metro Police officer tried to stop the driver of a speeding truck. The driver chose instead to flee at speeds up to 80 mph.

As the chase progressed, the officer took down the truck's license plate, which had been displayed in the rear window rather than on the bumper.

Hartsell said the truck ran through one red light, then tried to run another red light when it hit a Saturn driven by Dale Smithers.

The prosecutor said the truck hit with such force that it was imbedded in the compact vehicle, which was knocked 290 feet. Smithers died at the scene, but Fonseca was not seriously injured and tried to flee on foot.

"It took six officers to subdue him," Hartsell told District Judge Michael Douglas. One officer suffered a serious injury to a hand, he said.

The prosecutor said the nature of the incident plus Fonseca's lack of ties to Southern Nevada make him a flight risk who deserves a high bail setting.

Douglas agreed.

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