|
Published in the Reno Gazette Journal, NV - February 28, 2008
Three days after being critically injured in an automobile accident while on duty, Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Kara M. Kelly-Borgognone has been declared dead, the NHP has announced.
Doctors at Renown Regional Medical Center had been conducting tests on Kelly-Borgognone, a married 33-year-old mother of two daughters, to find suitable recipients for organs. She was an organ donor and doctors finished the procedures about 2:45 a.m. today, Trooper Chuck Allen said.
“It’s very somber here in the office,” Allen said. “The sworn personnel have been asked to go ahead and shroud their badges.”
One employee is making black ribbons for non-sworn personnel to give them a chance to show their respect for Kelly-Borgonone, Allen said.
The driver of the vehicle that crashed into Kelly-Bourgognone’s patrol car has been identified as Matthew Henderson, 30 of Sun Valley.
The trooper was driving north on the Pyramid Highway on a report of a possible bomb at a Terrible’s gas station in Spanish Springs. When she drove through the intersection that has Highland Ranch Parkway on the west side and Sparks Boulevard on the east side, Henderson is alleged to have crashed into her vehicle as he was driving east on Highland Ranch Parkway.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crash. Deputy Brooke Keast said Wednesday it could be next week before any investigation is complete.
A trooper for two years, Kelly-Borgognone is married to Dirk Borgognone and they have two daughters, Ashlyn, 3, and Blair, 13.
A memorial service for Kelly-Borgognone will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the Lawlor Events Center on the University of nevada, Reno campus.
A special bank account to benefit the family of Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Kara Kelly-Borgognone has been set up, the NHP reports. Account number 83067603 at Irwin Union Bank, 5496 Reno Corporate Drive Reno, NV, 89511 has been started. Branch manager Stacey Taylor can be reached at 784-9700.
Anyone wishing to send sympathy cards or flowers for the family can send them to:
NHP Northern Command
357 Hammill Lane
Reno, NV 89511
Published in the Reno Gazette Journal, NV - February 28, 2008
It might be next week before investigators can say what caused a crash Monday that critically injured a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper whose organs are being harvested for transplant, authorities said Wednesday.
"They're working on so many different aspects," Washoe County sheriff's Deputy Brooke Keast said.
Trooper Kara M. Kelly-Borgognone, 33, of Sparks, was responding Monday night to a report of a possible bomb at a Spanish Springs gas station when her northbound patrol car was struck by an eastbound Chevrolet sport utility vehicle.
Her family, through the NHP, announced Tuesday she was not going to survive and that her organs would be donated.
Keast said Wednesday no results from the investigation of the Pyramid Highway accident are available.
"I'm thinking next week," Keast said.
One witness was behind the Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Matthew Henderson, 30, of Sun Valley, that struck the troopers's Ford Crown Victoria. The witness statements must be corroborated, Keast said.
Tests are being performed on both vehicles to determine whether all components were functioning at the time of the accident. Five or six members of the sheriff's major accident investigation team are on the case, Keast said.
"At this point, I've haven't got any inkling at all that there are charges to be filed," Keast said. "Until the whole thing is presented, you really don't know."
Trooper Chuck Allen, NHP spokesman, said the family had no additional statements.
"Today, they just want to be at peace and take advantage of some quiet time," Allen said.
People who worked with Kelly-Borgognone remembered her as a good worker and someone with wit.
"Kara was a tireless worker, who truly took her commitment to the citizens to heart, this shift and I will greatly miss her," said Sgt. Robert Stepien, who was Kelly-Borgognone's supervisor.
She spent eight years with the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation before joining the Nevada Highway Patrol almost two years ago.
Rich Tiran, a Parole and Probation sergeant, called her a delight to work with.
"She was sharp, intelligent, bright and a real go-getter, a real tiger when it came to doing her job," Tiran said. "She always had a great, great smile on her face. She was always quick witted."
Kelly-Borgognone had decided to be an organ donor, Tiran said.
"What a heroic and noble message to send to everyone: 'My life has ended, but I'm going to do everything I can do extend yours,'" Tiran said.
Tiran is coordinating efforts of former co-workers to at her side until she is buried.
"Even though she is currently assigned to the highway patrol, she has never left our hearts," Tiran said.
Published in the Reno Gazette Journal, NV - February 27, 2008
Volunteer state employees will stand by their colleague who was critically injured in a two-vehicle crash Monday night until she is buried, officials said Tuesday.
Trooper Kara M. Kelly-Borgognone, 33, will be on life support at Renown Regional Medical Center until her organs are harvested for transplant, and she will not recover, her family said in a Tuesday afternoon statement issued by NHP.
"This testing could take as long as two days as doctors try to find compatible matches," the NHP said in a statement. ""Trooper Kelly-Borgognone's family has also asked for the community's understanding and patience during this difficult time."
She and her husband, Dirk Borgognone, have daughters Blair, 13, and Ashlyn, 3, the NHP said.
The trooper was injured shortly after 10 p.m. Monday while responding to a report of a possible bomb threat at a Spanish Springs gas station.
Her northbound Ford Crown Victoria patrol car was struck by an eastbound Chevrolet sport utility vehicle at the intersection of Highland Ranch Parkway and Pyramid Highway.
Matthew Henderson, 30 of Sun Valley, was driving the Chevrolet Trail Blazer that crashed into the NHP car, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office said.
"At this point, we don't have any specifics on what made this crash happen," Deputy Brooke Keast said. "It's going to take a little bit more time than everybody wants to give it."
The sheriff's major accident investigation team is handling the case.
It's not clear whether drugs, alcohol, speed or other conditions played a factor, Keast said.
"Really, what we're doing is trying to establish speeds," Keast said. "We're trying to corroborate witness statements."
Kelly-Borgognone was among officers responding to help create a safety perimeter about 3 miles north of the bomb threat after employees at the Terrible's station found a suspicious plastic cooler with the word "test" on it about 9 p.m.
Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Beltran said the station and nearby Blockbuster, 7-Eleven and Save-Mart stores were evacuated before the bomb squad blew open the cooler and discovered it contained cement core samples.
Keast said the bomb squad procedures were standard.
"We can never assume it's not a bomb," Keast said. "When we get called with a suspicious anything, we have to assume that it is a bomb. Just because something looks safe doesn't mean it is."
The bomb squad gets about 250 to 300 calls a year, and each time, they must assume the suspicious package is a bomb. The perimeter established by the sheriff's office is made after figuring how much area could be damaged if the container is completely filled with explosives, Keast said.
Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman Chuck Allen said Kelly-Borgognone has been on the force two years, after eight years at the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation. Her brother, Chris Kelly, has been an NHP trooper for 14 years.
As a parole and probation officer two years ago, Kelly-Borgognone fatally shot a convicted felon who had failed a drug test and resisted arrest and being taken to jail. She and fellow officer John Gresock tried to handcuff Christopher Michael Tallman after he tested positive for methamphetamine in February 2006.
When Gresock's handcuffs touched Tallman's wrist, he twisted free, tore off Kelly-Borgognone's duty belt and removed her pistol from the holster, Reno police Lt. Ron Donnelly said then.
Kelly-Borgognone, Tallman's probation officer, struggled with him for the gun while Gresock tried to control him, Donnelly said. Tallman, 25, also ripped off Gresock's radio, making him unable to summon help.
During the struggle at the probation office at 10 State St. in Reno, Kelly-Borgognone fired a shot that struck Tallman in the head. Gresock then left to get help, Donnelly said.
Despite his head injury, Tallman continued to fight and was approaching Kelly-Borgognone. Donnelly said Kelly-Borgognone shot him three times in the chest and torso. Tallman was pronounced dead at Washoe Medical Center.
Police said Tallman was convicted Feb. 2, 2006, of being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and had been convicted in Oregon for possession of methamphetamine, resisting arrest and failing to appear in court.
Published in the Lahontan Valley News, NV - February 27, 2008
As soon as Rachel (Casey) Payne heard early Tuesday morning her best friend lay in critical condition at Renown Regional Medical Center, she hurried to Reno, wiping tears away from her eyes and wondering what she would expect once she arrived at the hospital room.
"She was quite upset when she heard the news," said her mother Darlene Short, adding her daughter left for the 63-mile trip as soon as she could.
Payne played summer and high school softball with Kara Kelly-Borgognone, the Nevada Highway Patrol trooper critically injured in a car accident Monday night in Sparks. The accident occurred as Kelly-Borgognone was responding to a bomb scare that turned out to be false.
As of Tuesday night, doctors were keeping Kelly-Borgognone on life support equipment because she is an organ donor, and they wanted to conduct organ suitability testing.
"She was tough, extremely competitive, but she was extremely funny with a witty sense of humor," said Payne, who was also a 1992 Churchill County High School graduate with Kelly-Borgognone.
Payne and Kelly-Borgognone then took their game to the next level and played softball at Columbia College in Columbia, Mo.
"Her level of intensity in college was greater," Payne said. "She was even more competitive in college. She took her sports seriously."
That work ethic carried over to her career as a probation officer in Fallon and then Reno. Payne said Kelly-Borgognone took pride in her job.
While Payne remembers Kelly-Borgognone as tough, she also saw her teammate's softer side.
"She was very light-hearted and passionate," Payne said. "People remember her as stern as a juvenile probation officer, but she was still compassionate. She was funny, but she would also get fired up with a good cause."
Prep, college ball
Wendy Spratt took over the Columbia College softball program in Kelly-Borgognone's final year.
Shocked with the news of her former player's accident, Spratt spoke in measured tones Tuesday afternoon.
"Kara did a great job," Spratt said. "She was our No. 1 pitcher at the time. She hit well for us and played great defense."
Spratt also referred to Kelly-Borgognone as tough.
"She was someone who worked hard, threw hard and wanted to win," Spratt said.
For 15 years, Kelly-Borgognone held the school's season RBI record until it was broken several years ago.
Steve Richards, who coached the Lady Wave softball team in the early 1990s, said he was heartbroken after hearing the news of Kelly-Borgognone's accident Tuesday morning.
"It's sad to think of someone that age involved in an accident like that," he said. "I didn't know about the accident until my brother (Mike Richards) called me this morning."
Richards said Kelly-Borgognone played at third base, caught and pitched.
"Kara was fearless," Richards said." She didn't back down from anything. She was very determined, and sometimes that was a huge plus, an asset."
Kelly-Borgognone received her share of honors, earning first-team all-conference and all-state recognition during all three years.
"She was a good team player, played hard and got along with her teammates," Richards said.
Tammie Shemenski, who graduated in 1990, played high school and college ball with Kelly-Borgognone.
"She was a strong player, a strong teammate who got through a game," Shemenski said, her voice choking.
Shemenski said her teammate pitched and played third base and outfield at Columbia.
"She was a fighter and did not back down to anyone, even in college," Shemenski said. "Kara threw a hard, heavy ball, and she would come in and close the game. She was so young that her life was just starting."
High school memories
Fellow classmate Destry Johnson remembers the fire in her eyes when she competed on the field.
"She was tough," he said. "She had a great personality and was a great softball player, a great athlete who was a lot of fun to be around. She was a very happy person."
News of Kelly-Borgognone's plight prompted Rhonda (Hyatt ) Menke to grab her yearbook from her senior year.
"I thought about the memories," Menke said, trying to hold back her tears. "I thought how funny she was and full of life. She was the life of the party."
Menke, who hasn't seen Kelly-Borgognone since graduation, said her teammate was tough but enjoyed life.
"She was a devoted friend to many people," Menke said. "I was too serious in high school. I enjoyed the fun side of her the most because I was lacking it."
Julie (Jensen ) Kroll said Kelly-Borgognone earned her respect as a batter.
"She could hit the ball damn hard," Kroll said. "She was quite the comedian and kept us entertained on the bus trips. It's hard to believe this."
Kroll played with Kelly-Borgognone during their sophomore and junior years.
Looking back at their different paths in life, Kroll said she regrets they weren't closer after high school.
After Kelly-Borgognone returned home from college, Kroll said they didn't see each other too often.
"She worked for juvenile probation for a while, but I didn't have much contact after that," Kroll laments. "We all loved her. It was weird that she was a police officer, but she was tough."
Nevada trooper killed in the line of duty
Return to Menu
|
Highway Patrol/State Police Memorial