Trooper: Drunk man rolled truck on SR 342

SILVER CITY " A Carson City man is suspected of being drunk after he rolled his truck Monday afternoon in a single-vehicle accident on State Route 342 just north of Devils Gate and Silver City.

Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Ron Larson said that about 2:30 p.m., Mike Silva, 65, was driving his pickup truck southbound on a straight part of the winding mountain road when he lost control, drove into the northbound shoulder, then overcorrected.

"He drifted off the road, hit a rock with the front of (his truck), rotated around and basically put it on its top," said Larson.

The truck came to rest on its roof, facing northbound in the southbound shoulder.

Silva was conscious and talking as fire crews from Storey County and Central Lyon County cut him from the wreckage. He was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno by ambulance with minor injuries.

A preliminary breath test indicated Silva was intoxicated, said Larson. He will likely be arrested immediately because of the preliminary test results.

"Speed wasn't a factor, but the alcohol was," Larson said. He noted Silva admitted to drinking whiskey.

The accident blocked traffic in both directions for at least an hour.

- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.