local weather Click for Sun Valley, Idaho Forecast
 front page
 classifieds
 calendar

 last week

 recreation
 subscriptions
 express jobs
 about us
 advertising info
 classifieds info
 internet info
 sun valley guide
 real estate guide
 homefinder
 sv catalogs
 hemingway
Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
208.726.8060 Voice
208.726.2329 Fax

Copyright © 2003 Express Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 


For the week of September 17 - 23, 2003

News

Local teens killed in Carey auto accident

Emergency response hampered
in separate accident


Funerals scheduled

Anthony L. Fiscus: Funeral services for Fiscus are scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Carey School old gymnasium.

Memorial funds in memory of Fiscus can be sent to the First Bank of Idaho in Bellevue, care of the Anthony Fiscus memorial fund.

Shawn P. Barker and Nicko E. Gabiola: Funeral services for Barker and Gabiola are scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 18 at 4 p.m. at the L.D.S. Chapel in Carey. Cremation will follow the services.

Donations can be made in loving memory of the two boys to: Kaleb Gabiola, care of Mountain West Bank, 206 North Main, Hailey, ID 83333.

Another fund in memory of two boys has been established at First Bank of Idaho, with branches in Hailey and Ketchum.


By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

Three Carey teens were killed, and a Bellevue teen critically injured, last week when the vehicle they were in slid across U.S. Highway 93 near Carey and into a barrow pit, where the vehicle collided with a large concrete culvert.

Anthony Fiscus Courtesy photo

The accident occurred on Friday, Sept. 12 at approximately 11:45 p.m. just north of Carey on U.S. Highway 93. According to authorities, all four of the vehicle’s occupants were wearing seat belts.

The front seat passenger, 19-year-old Anthony L. Fiscus, a Carey High School senior, was transported by Life Flight to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. He died there from injuries sustained in the accident.

Cousins Shawn P. Barker, 14, and Nicko E. Gabiola, 14, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Though they were cousins, they were raised as brothers. Shawn was in eighth grade at the Carey School, and Nicko was a freshman at Carey High School.

The driver, 17-year-old Kimberly Mitma, is from Bellevue and was also transported by Life Flight to Saint Alphonsus, where she remained in critical condition at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The accident "hits the valley very hard," said Blaine County School District Superintendent Jim Lewis.

Shawn Barker Courtesy photo

According to a press release from Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling, an investigation at the accident scene showed that Mitma was driving north on U.S. Highway 93 when she lost control of her 1999 Mercury Cougar two-door hatchback. The vehicle slid sideways across the southbound lane into the west side barrow ditch and into the large culvert.

No mechanical difficulty or tire problems were apparent, said Gene Ramsey, Blaine County Chief Deputy Sheriff.

Although three beer cans were discovered near the vehicle, Ramsey said there was no sign of alcohol on the breath of the driver.

Meanwhile, while responding to the fatal accident, a Carey-Picabo Rural Fire Department fire engine collided with a pickup truck driven by John R. Cenarrusa, 31, of Carey.

Cenarrusa was south-bound and, failing to yield to the oncoming emergency vehicle, turned in front of the fire engine, which skidded into the side of Cenarrusa’s truck, Ramsey said. Cenarrusa and his passenger, Perry Meguregui of Shoshone, were treated and released at St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center.

James E. Churchman, 46, of Gannett, who was driving the fire engine, was unharmed.

Nicko Gabiola Courtesy photo

Ramsey said the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office is considering several charges against Cenarrusa, including driving under the influence and failure to properly yield.

The fatal accident is still under investigation, Ramsey said.

Fiscus, nicknamed Tony, was the son of Francis M. Fiscus of Carey and Marsha Culver of Twin Falls. He was a lifetime resident of Carey.

According to his obituary, he enjoyed working on landscaping and gardening, tinkering with his truck and computer programs. When snow fell, he shoveled the sidewalks in front of the post office and nearby church.

He is survived by his parents, three brothers, a sister and numerous members of his extended family.

Shawn Barker was born in Jerome to Pennie Barker and Patrick Gabiola. His short life was centered in Carey, where he was involved in football and basketball.

According to the two boys’ obituary, Barker loved to work outdoors and had a natural mechanical ability.

"To best sum up our beloved Shawn is to say that he was truly a kind-hearted boy with nothing mean to say about anyone," according to the obituary. "…But Shawn’s true love and devotion was to his Mom, who will forever hold close to her heart her best friend, her son Shawn."

Barker is survived by his parents; his stepfather Rodrigo Apolaya-Mitma of Lima, Peru; a brother and numerous extended family members.

Curly-haired Nicko Gabiola was born in Nampa to Susan Gabiola and Tony Welicko. He was active in baseball, basketball and was a proud member of the Carey High School football team.

Like Barker, Gabiola loved the outdoors and enjoyed every opportunity he had to go camping, fishing, dirt bike riding or snowmobiling.

"Nicko is lovingly remembered as a young man so eager to help and had a smile as big as his heart," according to the obituary. "Nicko was so proud to attend school in Carey and knew he had many friends whom he shared a lot of good times."

Gabiola is survived by his parents, a brother and numerous extended family members.

 

Homefinder

City of Ketchum

Sun Valley Home Values

Formula Sports

Windermere

Edmark GM Superstore : Nampa, Idaho

Premier Resorts Sun Valley

High Country Property Rentals


The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.