Family members say an 18-year-old high school senior returned to Juneau on Tuesday night after sustaining multiple injuries in a car crash last month.
Lane Nashoanak, a senior at Yaakoosge Daakahidi Alternative High School who was delivering pizzas for Domino’s at the time of the crash, spent the past five weeks being treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for his heart, legs and hip, family said.
“He’s doing much better,” Nashoanak’s grandmother Marti Channell said on Wednesday, “He’s still in the recuperation state, but he looks pretty good for all the wear and tear he’s been through.”
Other family members said he received knee and hip surgery, but is now determined to get out of his wheelchair and is using crutches to get around. They estimate he has about six to eight weeks of physical therapy left.
Harborview spokeswoman Clare LaFond said he was officially discharged from the hospital on Feb. 2 and had to stay longer for follow-up appointments.
Nashoanak was medevaced to Harborview after his car was hit by another vehicle on Jan. 18.
Nashoanak was driving on Back Loop Road at the Mendenhall River Bridge around 7 p.m. when a Toyota Tacoma driven by a 50-year-old man crossed the center line and collided with Nashoanak’s car, police stated in an earlier release. Nashoanak was extracted from his vehicle, taken to Bartlett Regional Hospital, then medevaced to Harborview Medical Center that same night.
The other driver was treated and released on scene the night of the accident for minor injuries, according to the police statement.
No one was cited or charged in the incident.
Comments (19)
Add commentWHY
was no one cited or charged? This young man almost lost his life. The other car crossed the center line and hit him but the 50 year old man was not cited? WHY?
Maybe it was just an
Maybe it was just an ACCIDENT?? Perhaps the 50 year old man's insurance is covering this young man's medical bills and all is well. We don't really know. But sometimes an accident is just an accident.
citation
If a cop was following you and you went over the yellow line, you'd probably get a citation for wreckless driving or something similar. He should have been cited, even if it was a minor offense.
@tempo, it's not wreckless
it's reckless [FTFY] trololololololol
CRAZY!!!
I was on sheer ice when my car slid out onto back loop from Montana Creek Rd and I was t-boned and JPD followed me to the emergency room and cited me for careless driving while the ER room staff were checking me out. I don't quite understand why the other driver isn't being charged as its obvious he was at fault since HE crossed the center line. The 50 year old must be of some importance that he gets a free pass or maybe it's because the one that was injured was only a native boy.
@Crazy Girl
Were you turning LEFT from Montana Creek onto Back Loop Road?
Because if you were, and didn't yeild to oncoming traffic, or thought you had time to turn then skidded because of the ice...OF COURSE JPD is going to cite you for careless driving. You were turning left, AND the road conditions were bad and you opted to not acknowledge that, you were driving carelessly. You're lucky you got off with 1 citation.
I highly doubt JPD is being racist in NOT charging the old man in his driving. Accidents happen...and as it's been previously pointed out, he probably has insurance (like a responsible motorist does) that is covering all of these medical expenses.
The Empire just likes to stir the pot and not give full details on these kind of things.
@ alaskagirlygirl
sliding = going too fast for conditions You were on sheer ice and slid into another road. Slow down. If you were t-boned, count yourself very fortunate to be alive.
@Wowreally
Crossing the centerline and having a collision with an oncoming car is clearly either Reckless driving or Negligent driving:
Sec. 28.35.400. Reckless driving.
(a) A person who drives a motor vehicle in the state in a manner that creates a substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm to a person or to property is guilty of reckless driving. A substantial and unjustifiable risk is a risk of such a nature and degree that the conscious disregard of it or a failure to perceive it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the situation.
(b) A person convicted of reckless driving is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year or by both.
(c) Lawfully conducted automobile, snowmobile, motorcycle, or other motor vehicle racing or exhibition events are not subject to the provisions of this section.
Sec. 28.35.410. Negligent driving.
(a) A person who drives a motor vehicle in the state in a manner that creates an unjustifiable risk of harm to a person or to property and who, as a result of the creation of the risk, actually endangers a person or property is guilty of negligent driving. An unjustifiable risk is a risk of such a nature and degree that a failure to avoid it constitutes a deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the situation. Proof that a defendant actually endangered a person or property is established by showing that, as a result of the defendant's driving,
(1) an accident occurred;
(2) a person, including the defendant, took evasive action to avoid an accident;
(3) a person, including the defendant, stopped or slowed down suddenly to avoid an accident; or
(4) a person or property, including the defendant or the defendant's property, was otherwise endangered.
(b) The offense of negligent driving is a lesser offense than, and included in, the offense of reckless driving, and a person charged with reckless driving may be convicted of the lesser offense of negligent driving.
@BTW
I drive back and forth on back loop four or five times a day and on that particular day, I had just driven it within an hour of the crash and returned within fifteen minutes after the crash had occurred. The road was dry with no ice or snow of any kind on the roadway, the river was frozen over so it was not producing fog.
It's really odd,
That the victim in this crash has been well identified by the Empire and yet the "other driver" remains a "50 year old man"
Just who is he? City staff? Off duty JPD Officer? Well connected ?
Come on Empire.... I know you can do better than this.
No I was NOT SPEEDING!!!
This was before they redid the Montana Creek/Back Loop intersection. I was making a right turn and it was a skating rink. I notice that after my accident they starting sanding that intersection. I too had insurance as I am a responsible driver and have not had any accidents since that only one.
I would like to know why that driver isn't being charged. It doesn't matter if he has insurance or not. He caused and accident and the other driver was medevaced out with life threatening injuries. He was a young boy who now has to learn to basically walk again. Must be nice, for the 50 year old, to be special.....
Speeding?
alaskagirlygirl - No one said you were speeding. Driving too fast for conditions is driving at a speed in which you cannot compensate for the changed driving conditions. If it is sheer ice out and the speed limit is 50 but you cannot stop, you are going too fast. You might not be speeding but you are going too fast for the changed road conditions.
I highly doubt that the 50 year old man is "special." My guess is other factors might have played a part in crossing the center line but I don't know that. Each accident is vastly different.
AH HA
I live off BackLoop and turned off of river road right after the accident happened and it was very icy out at that time. As far as the 50 yr old.. No he isn't a police officer or "well connected" He is my neighbor and just a normal person who was driving home. As far as them not publishing his name, they don't generally publish the names of people involved in car accidents unless it's something serious like Mr. Nashoanak's injuries were.
Error?
Maybe the Empire doesn't always get it right but some of you folks take it as the gold standard. Just sayin!
FYI.. 50 is not "old" , wise
FYI.. 50 is not "old" , wise maybe but not OLD! Just saying.
Umm, Actually 50 IS Old
Most people only live into their late 60's early 70's. That's 5/6th's through your life...so yes, you ARE old at 50.
ddtjman
I dont know what ancient text your reading but 50 is no longer 5/6ths of your life.
No one in my family has died younger than 90. My great, grandma made it to 112 and at 107 when I last saw her she was on a step ladder painting her living room ceiling. My grandmother passed at 101 but her health was getting bad. Both ladies were opposite sides of the family (ie; dads side vs moms side)
icy roads are a part of life here. Id girlygirl cant control her vehicle then she was going to fast. I know that bridge was icy at that time and the "50 year old" was going towards the glacier on that right hand bend where gravity pulls you across the center line, add the icy conditions to that and ,,,,,
The 50 year old was, in fact, identified in the second article on this subject.
The average life expectancy
The average life expectancy is something like 78 in the U.S., now, but that takes into account all deaths, including untimely ones (infant mortality, suicide, drug-related deaths, homicide, accidents, etc.). In reality, most people will naturally die somewhere in their 80's, and the life expectancy at age 50 for a male is about 28 years, meaning someone who is 50 will, on average, have lived less than 2/3 of his life.
I wouldn't expect ddtjman to think very deeply about this sort of thing, though.
Safety precautions is a must
Car accident though is not normal could be avoided if you wish to. You just need to come up with the proper maintenance for your vehicles. It's good news now we have auto service centers to come up with the helping hand especially when were on car troubles. On the other hand there are also manuals for several things such of how to install a car starter? which is truly made for drivers. Bottom line here is that, we should also know the safety precautions when driving as you can see the survey out there most drivers that were involved in accidents were drunk drivers of whom lead to recklessness on the road.