Last two of bus stop crash’s four deceased victims identified

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Published Friday, Sept. 14, 2012 | 6:18 p.m.

Updated Friday, Sept. 14, 2012 | 9:25 p.m.

The Clark County Coroner's Office has identified the last two victims killed in a horrific crash that killed four early Thursday at a bus stop in Las Vegas.

Margoth Gonzalez, 65, and Hyon Cooley, 47, were among those waiting for a bus at 6:25 a.m. Thursday on Spring Mountain Road near Decatur when a car driven by 23-year-old Gary Lee Hosey Jr. plowed into the bus stop.

The Coroner's Office earlier Friday had identified Gerber Hernan Ayala-Tomasino Jr., 24, among the dead in the crash. Johnni Garner, 49, a certified nurse assistant at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, was the first to be identified, late Thursday.

The Coroner’s Office said the cause of death for all victims was multiple blunt force injuries and their manner of death was accidental.

Metro Police on Thursday evening identified the surviving victims.

Pedestrians Zakiya Corner, 29, and Billy Joel Ramirez-Fuentes, 31, were taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, while Zexiang Wang, 19, was taken to University Medical Center.

Hosey and four passengers in his car — Las Vegas residents Akililu Atanaw, 24, Maarig Tewolde, 26, and Wendim Fisenar, 31, and San Diego resident Tamesgen Adam, 22 — also were taken to hospitals Thursday.

Hosey and Atanaw were transported to Sunrise Hospital. Adam, Fisenar and Tewolde were transported to UMC.

Hosey was released Friday afternoon, Metro spokesman Bill Cassell said, but was being booked into the Clark County Detention Center on four counts of felony driving under the influence causing death.

Spokeswomen for the two hospitals on Friday gave condition updates on the accident victims but, citing patient confidentiality, would only identify the patients by gender.

Two males and a female at Sunrise were in good condition while one was in critical condition, said Stacy Acquista, a spokeswoman for Sunrise.

At UMC, two males were in critical condition, one male was released and another male was in fair condition.

Also Friday, Nichelle Garner, daughter of Johnni Garner, set up a memorial account at Wells Fargo for donations to assist with funeral expenses for her mother. People wishing to donate can do so at any Wells Fargo Bank and reference account number 7454100418.