The Nevada Highway Patrol has officially closed its case involving the death of a 13-year-old Churchill County Middle school student who was fatally struck on Sept. 25, 2020, while waiting for his school bus at the intersection of Carson River and Rice roads north of Fallon.
In its collision investigative report, the NHP concluded Douglas Tracy of Churchill County was at fault for failing to drive on the right side of the road, a misdemeanor, and for driving under the influence causing death, a felony.
“The Nevada Highway Patrol is not recommending charges due to Tracy’s death,” the report stated.
The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office previously confirmed the 52-year-old Tracy died by suicide on Oct. 6.
The CCSO requested the NHP’s assistance because of a possible conflict of interest. A trooper’s report stated Tracy “was apparently an ex-sworn employee of the department.” The NHP and their Major Accident Investigations Team responded to conduct the traffic investigation, and the CCSO conducted the coroner investigation.
According to the report, Tracy was westbound shortly after noon on Rice Road in his blue 2014 GMC pickup approaching the intersection with Carson River Road. Three children were waiting on the corner at a bus stop. The NHP said Tracy, for some unknown reason, veered left off Rice Road and struck the student, Jaiden Locarnini Barajas, who died at the scene. The boy’s stepfather, Wayne Quigley, said in a previous news article Jaiden kicked his younger sister out of the way before the truck smashed into him. Another sister had stepped forward to see if the bus was coming. She was unhurt.
A candlelight vigil was held at the bus stop two days later.
The report stated Tracy stopped west of the bus stop. At the request of the CCSO, one of the NHP troopers at the scene began a DUI investigation.
“Tracy told me he had no clear memory of how the crash had happened,” the trooper documented. “Eventually, Tracy refused a preliminary breath test and refused any field sobriety testing.”
The NHP investigation report also stated Tracy’s blood alcohol content was over .08 at the time of the collision.
The NHP requested a search warrant from Judge Thomas Stockard of the Tenth Judicial District Court in Fallon. A trooper transported Tracy to Banner Churchill Community Hospital for the blood draw. The blood samples were then taken to a laboratory in Reno.
Both The Fallon Post and the Lahontan Valley News have worked together on this crash. Rachel Dahl is editor of The Fallon Post, an Steve Ranson is Editor Emeritus of the LVN.
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