IN BRIEF

CHEYENNE NEAR DURANGO

Driver, 23, dies after losing control of car

A 23-year-old motorist died Sunday morning after losing control of a sports car and crashing into a light pole, Las Vegas police said.

The accident occurred about 5 a.m. on Cheyenne Avenue west of Durango Drive.

Police did not release the identity of the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 2001 Ford Mustang in the crash left the north edge of the road, struck a light pole and then hit a machine that is part of the valley's water system, police said.

A passenger, identified as 20-year-old Maricela Cortez-Solano, was taken to University Medical Center and treated for moderate injuries.

Police were investigating the cause of the accident. It was the 61st traffic-related fatality of the year in the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police Department.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Year later, wildfire inquiry continues

Authorities said they are studying a "person of interest" in their investigation of last summer's catastrophic Lake Tahoe wildfire but lack enough evidence to make an arrest.

Bill Dillard, an investigator with the El Dorado County District Attorney's office, said he hopes an arrest eventually will be made.

With wildfire investigations, he said, it is not uncommon for a year or two to pass before a case is solved because someone can finally break their silence.

"The fervor dies down. They want to tell somebody, or they feel guilty, or they brag," Dillard told the Reno Gazette-Journal.