Nurse's widow sues aircraft owner

The widow of a nurse killed in a helicopter crash near Indian Springs filed a $5 million wrongful death suit against the aircraft's owner Tuesday.

Lori Shelton is suing Louisiana-based Metro Aviation, alleging the April 4 crash that killed her husband, Leroy Shelton, 37, and two others was due to the "negligence of the defendant, its officers, agents, servants and employees."

Metro Aviation, which has a contract with Valley Hospital to provide the Flight for Life helicopters, has until May 31 to respond to the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.

The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the crash that also claimed the lives of the helicopter's pilot, James Bond Jr., 42, and flight nurse Kathy Batterman, 44.

A preliminary report issued April 23 said the visibility in the area that night was about 50 feet because of blowing snow and sleet.

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