Samaritan surprised by local support

More than $4,200 was raised during a fundraiser Monday for a Carson City man who was shot after he stopped to help a motorist on Mother's Day.

"Holy cow," Wayne Nash said Tuesday when he heard the total raised for him. "It's stunning. It's unbelievable. It really helps with how I'm feeling about the community. Regardless of where you are and who you are, the community does come together to help."

Nash, 51, was shot in the leg on May 10 after he pulled over on Highway 395 in Washoe Valley to help motorists he believed had been in an accident.

Nash began to walk over to the other vehicle, he said, when the car drove back onto the road and slowed in front of him. The driver opened fire.

"I heard a pop, and I immediately " instantaneously " knew what was happening," he said. "I'm such a blur about everything, but I do remember running from a guy shooting at me."

Nash has been at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno since the shooting. He's undergone several surgeries to repair the damage done when the bullet entered just below the back of his right knee and exited the front.

Rene Angulo, 17, of Carson City was killed in the incident. Suspect Steven Contreras, also known as Victor Rodriguez, 24, was captured and charged with murder and attempted murder. He is being held without bail in the Washoe County Jail.

Carson High physical education teacher Erin Been arranged the fundraiser for her friend Monday at Straw Hat Pizza. The pizza parlor donated 50 percent of proceeds between 5 and 9 p.m. to a medical fund for Nash.

"The line was out the door. It was non-stop from 4:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. Jam packed," she said. "Some people who couldn't stand in line any longer literally wrote out checks to Wayne."

A traffic engineer and assistant girls junior varsity basketball coach at Carson High School, Nash is expected to be released from the hospital later this week. He said he's in physical therapy and has managed to walk using a walker. Next he'll tackle climbing one step since that's what it takes to get into his house.

"Just 10 days ago I got shot, and they are doing a fundraiser for me. I'm very touched," he said, his voice choked with emotion. "I'm very proud of the citizens of Carson. This will really help."