Former Douglas County Commissioner David E. Nelson was killed in a Beaumont, Calif., traffic mishap on Saturday night, according to a report issued on Sunday by the Riverside County Coroner’s Office.

Nelson, 81, was a pedestrian struck by a vehicle in the road in front of his granddaughter’s home around 7:31 p.m., the Beaumont Police Department confirmed on Wednesday.

Nelson served as a county commissioner from 2017-2020, narrowly being defeated by Commissioner Danny Tarkanian by 17 votes.

He and spouse Jeanne Shizuru arrived in Carson Valley in 2003. 

In 2005, he was a founding member of the Good Government Group, which later rebranded as the Good Governance Group.

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He first sought public office in Douglas County when he ran for county commissioner in 2008 against Greg Lynn. While that attempt didn’t work out, Nelson tried again in 2016, winning the seat.

Nelson was a Carson Valley Kiwanian, who helped modernize the club’s recordkeeping for bicycle donations.

Nelson was early out of the gate in announcing an effort for re-election in fall 2019 and was involved in petition drives to overturn a redevelopment district at Stateline and the Park 2500 development agreement. That was the same year Tarkanian moved to Douglas County. 

He was appointed to the Douglas County planning commission in 2021.

He and Shizuru were involved in the petition to regulate vacation home rentals.

In 2024, he was the top vote-getter for Gardnerville Ranchos General Improvement District trustee. 

Nelson has been an agent for M. Scott Properties since he arrived in Gardnerville in 2003. 

He graduated from California State Polytechnic University – Pomona with a bachelor of science degree in business administration and management in 1971.