(Newswire.net — June 21, 2018) — In an act of what appears to be reckless driving, a pedestrian was killed early Sunday morning in Nevada. The tragic traffic collision took place in the early hours of Sunday, June 17, 2018. Standing near the Hard Rock hotel and casino in Las Vegas, a pedestrian was struck and killed when an alleged negligent and reckless driver drove up on the sidewalk. The out of control car also hit another pedestrian standing on the sidewalk. The car did not stop after hitting the victims but continued driving, fleeing the scene of the accident.
The fatal incident occurred just before 1:00 a.m. The exact location of the crash was at 455 East Harmon Avenue close to South Paradise Road. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, a Dodge Charger lost control, drove up onto the curb and hit two bystanders who were standing on the sidewalk outside the hotel.
A 51-year-old female and a 25 year old man were the two people hit by the vehicle. The woman was killed by the car while the man was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Minutes after the incident, the Nevada Highway Patrol was alerted by a caller that a vehicle of the same make was speeding and driving recklessly on the highway. The vehicle was identified by troopers and subsequently stopped by officers who administered a drunk driving test. The driver of the vehicle did not pass the sobriety test.
Negligent driving, according to Bradshaw Law LLC is the primary cause of car accidents. Driving a vehicle is an activity that requires full focus at all times. If a driver becomes unattentive even for only a moment, by even the smallest of distractions like changing the radio station, eating, texting, looking for an item in the back seat, talking to a passenger, or answering a phone call, the result may be very serious or deadly. The risk increases at higher speeds.
Police officers called to the scene of the stopped vehicle found that the Dodge was indeed a match to the vehicle that committed the hit and run. The driver was identified as Anthony Rodriguez, age 47. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence involving death and leaving the scene of a collision involving death.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police department’s data, the fatal collision outside the hotel and casino was the 61st traffic-related fatality in their jurisdiction this year.