Hearing set in death of firefighter's wife

A Reno man charged in the fatal pedestrian accident of a Virginia Foothills woman will appear Dec. 2 in Reno Justice Court.

John Hyde, 39, was arrested Oct. 30 on a Washoe County warrant for suspicion of causing death of another by driving a vehicle while under the influence of a prohibitive substance; causing the substantial bodily harm of another while under the influence of a prohibitive substance; reckless driving; and possession of a controlled substance. He posted a $45,000 bail the same day, according to jail records.

On Aug. 13 about 8:09 p.m., Hyde was driving southbound in a borrowed Toyota truck only 90 minutes after his release from a hospital following an earlier accident. The truck crossed the oncoming lane on Toll Road near Gold Run Drive in the Virginia Foothills and struck Storey County firefighter Darin Berry and his wife, Kelly, from behind as the couple walked southbound on the northbound shoulder, according to the Washoe County police report.

Kelly Berry, 24, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Darin Berry, 25, sustained a compound fracture to his lower left leg and was taken by Care Flight helicopter to Washoe Medical Center where he underwent surgery.

An affidavit filed in support of the arrest warrant alleged a blood draw taken after the accident revealed Hyde had five times the statutory limit of marijuana in his blood and nearly twice the limit of methamphetamine. Following the accident investigators also allegedly found a .08 grams of methamphetamine in a backpack belonging to Hyde in the truck.

If convicted, he could face up to 50 years in prison.