Roxanne Herndon, 11-29-05

Alaska digest
Published: December 1, 2005

NINILCHIK

Woman dies in ATV crash

A 25-year-old woman who was thrown into the Ninilchik River when the ATV she was a passenger on flipped Tuesday night has died, Alaska State Troopers said.

Roxanne Herndon was found face down in the icy waters near the mouth of the river, troopers said. Doctors were unable to revive Herndon, who was taken to Central Peninsula General Hospital, troopers said.

Wesley Shandy, 39, of Ninilchik, was driving the four-wheeler around 8 p.m. Tuesday when he lost control. He was able to climb out of the river but Herndon was not, troopers said.

Shandy was arrested for violating the conditions of his release on an unrelated theft charge. He had been drinking, violating the conditions of his probation, troopers said.

Ninilchik, population about 800, on the Sterling Highway, is about 40 miles southwest of the city of Kenai.

An investigation continues, troopers said.

-- Anchorage Daily News

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Alaska digest
Published: April 5, 2006

KENAI

Man indicted in Ninilchik River 4-wheeler crash that killed woman

Kenai grand jury has indicted a 39-year-old man on manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges in the death of a woman on a four-wheeler he drove in November near Ninilchik.

Wesley Shandy, 39, also was indicted on charges of driving under the influence and tampering with a witness.

Roxanne Herndon, 25, fell off the back of a four-wheeler being driven by Shandy. She went through ice on the Ninilchik River.

According to Alaska State Troopers reports, Shandy was drunk as he drove south along a Ninilchik beach, lost control, and drove off an embankment and into the water at the mouth of the Ninilchik River.

Emergency responders from Ninilchik Fire and Ambulance found Herndon about 15 minutes later, facedown in the river.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts continued for more than one hour as Herndon was taken to Central Peninsula General Hospital. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Herndon is survived an 8-year-old son, Cody Dutton.

Neither Herndon nor Shandy was wearing a helmet and both had been drinking, said Anchor Point trooper Ryan Browning.

Toxicology tests revealed that Herndon had a blood alcohol level of 0.04 and Shandy a blood alcohol level of 0.11, he said.

Shandy made attempts to tamper with witnesses by calling them from jail and asking them to testify falsely, Browning said.

Shandy asked witnesses to testify that Herndon had been driving the four-wheeler, he said.

"It was obvious that she wasn't," Browning said.

Shandy remained lodged Tuesday at Wildwood Pre-Trial Facility with bail set at $25,000.

-- The Associated Press