Jun 30, 2008 2:11 pm US/Pacific
Funds Set For Orphans Of CoCo Candidate, Officer
OAKLEY (CBS 5 / BCN) ―
Memorial funds have been set up for seven Oakley children who were orphaned Saturday when a small plane carrying their four parents crashed outside Las Vegas, Oakley City Councilman Kevin Romick said Monday.
The memorial funds have been set up at Bank of the West in Oakley for Erik and Tanya Nunn's four children, Ethan, Elorah, Nikolette and Tezianna, and Craig and Michelle Wilson's three children, whose names were not being released because the family has requested privacy.
All seven children, who are between the ages of 3 and 14, were with their grandparents Mondday, Romick said.
The two couples had been in Las Vegas celebrating their respective wedding anniversaries, Bay Area Rapid Transit spokesman Linton Johnson said.
Craig Wilson, 36, had been a Bay Area Rapid Transit officer since August 2003, according to Johnson.
BART officials are wearing black mourning strips across their badges Monday to honor Craig Wilson's death, Johnson said.
The Piper Cherokee plane, piloted by Erik Nunn, 37, crashed around 2:45 p.m. about 20 miles northwest of Las Vegas in a mountainous area leading up to a ski slope, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.
No one on the ground was injured, he said.
The plane had taken off from North Las Vegas Airport and was headed to Byron Airport in unincorporated Contra Costa County.
The aircraft struck some power lines on its way down, but what caused it to lose altitude remains under investigation, Gregor said.
"From what I've heard, it sounds like there may have been some kind of mechanical problem," Romick said.
According to Romick, Nunn was an experienced pilot.
"Erik loved to fly, we're terribly saddened it came at such a great cost, but we know he was with the person he loved celebrating the 10th anniversary of a marriage he was very proud of," his friends and supporters wrote and posted on his campaign Web site.
"Obviously it was a great loss for the city of Oakley and the family members are just devastated," Romick said.
Erik Nunn was chair of the city's planning commission and a candidate for the Contra Costa County District Five Supervisor seat.
Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Stephen Weir said the results of the June 3 election that would have sent current Supervisor Federal Glover and Erik Nunn into a runoff election in November were certified Friday.
The elections department will not amend the certification until they have received confirmation from the Clark County coroner's office that Erik Nunn was killed in the crash.
The coroner's office had not yet confirmed the identities of any of the victims Monday morning, but hoped to have more information this afternoon, a Clark County official said.
If it is confirmed that there is a vacancy on the ballot, the elections department will likely amend the results and next highest vote getter, Gary Agopian, will most likely go to the runoff in November, Weir said.
Individuals interested in making a donation to the children of the crash victims should send payments to:
Nunn Children Trust
Bank of the West
2195 Main St
Oakley, 94561925-625-2211
or
Wilson Children Trust
Bank of the West
2195 Main St
Oakley, 94561925-625-2211
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