Despite fears of huge crowds and high crime and traffic, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office says the New Year's Eve celebration went well in the casino core area of Stateline, Nevada, with only a few problem incidents occurring.
The celebratory crowd seemed smaller than in past years; estimated at approximately 30,000 people. The fact that New Year's Eve fell on the same weekend as the three-day SnowGlobe music festival in South Lake Tahoe raised law enforcement concerns about crime, traffic and pedestrian safety. But those fears didn't bear out, as the crowds were smaller and fairly well-behaved.
U.S. Highway 50 was closed to vehicle traffic about 10:30 p.m. to allow celebrants to flow into the roadway as they celebrated the coming of the New Year. The highway was reopened around 12:30 a.m. after the crowd peacefully moved off the street and back into the casinos or other establishments.
Ten people were arrested in the downtown casino area of Stateline during the evening. Charges included battery, domestic battery, battery on a peace officer, disorderly conduct, trespassing, minor consuming alcohol and civil protective custody. One person was arrested outside the casino area for DUI.
The Minden-Gardnerville area of Douglas County reported a similarly quiet evening. Two people were arrested for DUI and one person was arrested for theft.
The various public safety and support agencies involved in this year's event worked extremely well together, said Douglas County sheriff's Sgt. Jim Halsey, the department spokesman. Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini expressed gratitude to all the agencies that helped out over the long weekend, including the Nevada Highway Patrol, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, FBI, Tahoe-Douglas Fire Department, East Fork Fire and Paramedics, Douglas County Sheriff's Search and Rescue, Douglas County Emergency Communications Center, Douglas County Road Department, Nevada Department of Transportation and Cal-Trans.
Less than an hour in to 2012, however, a pedestrian was killed when he was struck by a California Highway Patrol vehicle as he walked in the traffic lanes of Highway 50. Authorities have not released the name of the victim in Douglas County's first fatal accident of the year.
The accident occurred at 12:44 a.m. Sunday when a 21-year-old Walnut Creek, Calif., man walking in the eastbound lanes of Highway 50 was struck from behind by a 2011 Ford Expedition California Highway Patrol vehicle driven by Officer Joshua J. Varanini, 38, of Truckee.
According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, the man was walking in the left eastbound lane wearing denim jeans and a black jacket. Varanini stepped on the brakes and steered to the right to avoid the man, but the vehicle's left front hit him and forced him into the oncoming westbound lanes, where he was hit by a passenger shuttle.
NHP Trooper Chuck Allen said the accident forced the closure of the highway for almost four hours. Eastbound traffic was rerouted out of the area via State Route 207, Kingsbury Grade, while westbound traffic was turned around near the scene. The highway was completely reopened around 4:36 am.
Troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol Major Accident Investigation Team are investigating.
Witnesses or anyone with additional information regarding this accident should contact Trooper Eric Gallagher at (775) 689-4661 regarding case number NHP-120100102.