State reports 2 Southern Nevada inmate deaths

Two inmates jailed in Southern Nevada prisons died over Memorial Day weekend, the Nevada Department of Corrections announced Wednesday.

Charley Matanza, 56, died at Southern Desert Correctional Center on Sunday in Indian Springs while serving a six- to 20-year sentence for driving under the influence and causing a deadly crash, a news release said.

Matanza, who was 52 at the time of the deadly collision, was driving a Chevrolet Suburban about 3 p.m. June 29, 2009, when he drove onto a sidewalk and hit 43-year-old Gary Lommason, who was riding a bicycle near Desert Inn and Sandhill roads.

Lommason, a father of three, was entangled by the Suburban’s undercarriage and dragged.

He was pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby hospital.

Matanza, who had a history of drug use, police said, was using Xanax and passed out while driving at the time of the crash.

He pleaded guilty in July 2010 to driving under the influence of drugs causing death.

A second inmate, John Englehart, 68, died Monday at the infirmary of High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs, the department of corrections said in a later release.

Since he was imprisoned on May 20, 2014, Englehart had five hospital stays in Las Vegas, totaling more than 150 days, the department said.

He was serving a 22-month to eight-year sentence for securities fraud, the release said.

The Clark County coroner’s office will determine the causes and manners of death for both men.

Reporter Kimber Laux contributed to this report. Contact Kimberly De La Cruz at kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @KimberlyinLV.