Family reunited with dog that went missing after deadly crash

By Ricardo Torres-Cortez Las Vegas Review-Journal

3 years ago

Chris Noel, whose wife Tiffani May was injured in a car accident that killed nine people, is joined by his wife’s cousin Tameka Henry as he is reunited with their dog Magic that escaped the car during the accident on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 in North Las Vegas near the intersection of Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

Kelly Winder, a local who volunteers with various dog rescue groups, far right, helps Tameka Henry, left, and her daughter Z’kya Smith, 15, center, as they look for Henry’s cousin’s dog Magic on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 in North Las Vegas in a dirt lot near the intersection of Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue. Henry’s cousin, Tiffani May, was injured in a traffic collision that killed nine people. Her dog Magic ran away at the time of the accident. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

Z’kya Smith, 15, left, carries Magic next to her mother Tameka Henry, right, on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 in North Las Vegas in a dirt lot near the intersection of Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue. Henry’s cousin, Tiffani May, was injured in a traffic collision that killed nine people. Her dog Magic ran away at the time of the accident. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

Z’kya Smith, 15, left, carries her cousin’s dog Magic on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 in North Las Vegas in a dirt lot near the intersection of Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue. Smith’s cousin, Tiffani May, was injured in a traffic collision that killed nine people. Her dog Magic ran away at the time of the accident. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

Z’kya Smith, 15, left, gets help from Brandy Glasgow putting a collar on Magic, who belonged to a victim injured in a crash that killed nine people, on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 in North Las Vegas in a dirt lot near the intersection of Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue. Magic ran away at the time of the accident. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

Z’kya Smith, 15, left, reunites Chris Noel with his dog Magic, who was traveling with Noel’s wife when she was in a traffic collision that killed nine people on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 in North Las Vegas in a dirt lot near the intersection of Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue. Magic ran away at the time of the accident. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

Chris Noel, left, thanks volunteer Kelly Winder, right, who helped find his dog Magic, who was traveling with Noel’s wife when she was in a traffic collision that killed nine people on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 in North Las Vegas in a dirt lot near the intersection of Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue. Magic ran away at the time of the accident. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

Z’kya Smith, 15, carries her cousin’s dog Magic on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 in North Las Vegas in a dirt lot near the intersection of Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue. Smith’s cousin, Tiffani May, was injured in a traffic collision that killed nine people. Her dog Magic ran away at the time of the accident. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

Chris Noel was on the phone with his wife when he heard a scream and she stopped speaking.

A motorist had blown through a red light in North Las Vegas and caused a crash that killed nine people in broad daylight Saturday.

“What happened? What’s going on with Magic?” Noel said he asked Tiffani May. “And there was nothing.”

Later hospitalized, May became worried about Magic, her Maltese poodle that was riding with her and disappeared after the 3 p.m. crash at the intersection of Cheyenne Avenue and Commerce Street.

Noel said May was conscious and in pain, but that physicians at University Medical Center told her she was going to be “fine.”

On Sunday morning, May’s family and a half-dozen volunteers showed up to search for the pet. Kelly Winder arrived first, and he found Magic on a desert lot near the crash scene.

“This is my secret, ” he said, pressing a squeeze toy. “That’s how I got her attention.”

But Magic was skittish, so Winder said he kept a distance until May’s cousins showed up.

Z’Kya Smith approached Magic slowly and scooped her. Her mother, Tameka Henry stood nearby, holding an empty crate.

When Noel showed up, Magic was surrounded by the group that peppered her with attention and gave them a pink harness, a purple leash and a mini sweater.

The dog appeared to be OK, but was later taken to a veterinarian for a checkup.

“I’m just extremely happy right now, the fact that we got another part of a family member back from this crazy, crazy, accident,” Noel said. “It’s amazing that the community is this tight to come out here and help a family that they don’t even know. So that’s amazing.”

Noel, a government contractor, was in Dallas waiting to be deployed for a work assignment in New Mexico when the crash occurred.

He boarded the first flight he could find to Las Vegas and attended to May at the hospital. He came looking for Magic at the desert lot about 4 a.m. Sunday.

“It was very dark,” he said. “I couldn’t find her whatsoever.”

Henry posted on dog rescue Facebook groups about 4 a.m. Sunday seeking help finding her cousin’s dog. Wilder and a cadre of volunteers answered the call.

“Im feeling overjoyed,” Henry said about Magic’s rescue.

She said May “has been worried about her, even though she really needs to be concerned about healing herself, but she can’t rest not knowing where her dog is.”

Henry said she hopes that knowing her dog survived will help her cousin heal.

“This was a traumatic experience for everyone, and I’m completely devastated by the loss of life that happened,” Henry said. “I just don’t have any words. It could’ve been any of us.”

But she found a silver-lining.

“It’s just a glimmer of hope what happened this morning,” Henry said.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com or follow @rickytwrites on Twitter.