FROM THE NEWS-3 TV (LAS VEGAS, NV) WEBSITE, APRIL 26, 2013:
LAS VEGAS (KSNV MyNews3) – A motorcyclist killed Friday morning April 26, 2012 near the Interstate 1 and U.S. 95 interchange has been identified by the Clark County coroner as Joseph Mladenik of North Las Vegas.
The accident occurred just before 10:10 a.m.
The victim was a 64-year-old male from North Las Vegas. He was traveling on a 1998 Harley-Davidson from southbound I-15 to the transition ramp to U.S. 95 North, lost control and struck the right barrier wall.
He was ejected from the motorcycle.
The ramp was closed for several hours for the investigation. It has been reopened for traffic.
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This information was obtained from: http://www.mynews3.com/content/news/story/motorcyclist-killed-las-vegas/xEm0kuWWDkeIYjubLmcqDw.cspx.
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More information supplied by Fred Higgenbottom, Class of 1966:
Posted: Apr 29, 2013 11:42 AM EDT Updated: Apr 29, 2013 11:44 AM EDT Written by Matt Guillermo, Web Producer - bio | email LAS VEGAS (FOX5) - The Clark County Coroner's office released the name of a 64-year-old who died in a motorcycle accident at the Interstate 15 interchange on Friday. Joseph Matthew Mladenik Jr. died from blunt force injuries as a result of the single-vehicle accident. According to Nevada Highway Patrol, Mladenik's bike went about halfway down the Interstate 15 southbound ramp to northbound U.S. 95 when the accident occurred. Mladenik was transported to University Medical Center with critical injuries. He was later pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the hospital. The accident shut down traffic at the Spaghetti Bowl interchange near downtown Las Vegas for a couple of hours.
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Fred Higgenbottom (1966)
News of Joe's tragic motorcycle accident and subsequent death on Friday April 26, 2013 came as a real shock for me. The news hit particularly hard since earlier in the week we'd shared some personal e-mails in which we discussed the fragility and brevity of life. Joe and I'd reconnected through this site nearly 50 years after losing touch with each other since playing Jr. and Sr. High School football together. We quickly caught up on each others lives and discovered that although we are very different people we shared some very similar political philosophies. I enjoyed chatting about them and sharing about our lives and families since High School via a few phone calls and lots of e-mails. Joe shared over 500 e-mails with me since reconnecting and absolutely delighted in relaying what to many might be considered junk but to me were sometimes profound, usually humorous and always welcome. Joe really loved sharing a good laugh.
Undoubtedly Joe's family is utterly devastated with the unexpected loss of his physical presence. May his family find comfort during their time of pain and grief and old friend may you rest in peace with the abiding hope that this life is not the end but that one day we'll all live and laugh again!
Steven C. Simms (1966)
I remember finger wresling Joe. He had some of the strongest hands I had ever encountered. I watched him and Willie William Smith finger wrestle and their fingers would turn white. Neither one would give up. Finally the lunch bell would ring and we headed back for class. Those two had to pry their fingers apart.
Joe I am sorry we will not get the opporunity to meet again. We would of had a lot to talk about as I see 30 years in tha AF. I had 22yrs. in the Army
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Your friend
Steve Simms