A serious crash involving four vehicles the morning of Oct. 31 has resulted in one fatality, with at least one other person sent to a local hospital. Nevada police arrested one of the drivers involved in the car accident on suspicion of drunk driving. The man has since been charged with a number of infractions and is awaiting a trial date.
According to the accident report, the crash happened sometime after 8 a.m. in Las Vegas. The driver of one of those vehicles, a 26-year-old man, was killed in the crash. County coroners have yet to confirm a cause of death. A passenger in the deceased driver’s vehicle was moderately injured and rushed to a local hospital.
It appears the 19-year-old driver who was later arrested apparently ran a red light, precipitating the crash. That driver has been charged with DUI substantial bodily harm and DUI death, though it is unclear whether he is in police custody or out on bail. A court date has not yet been publicly announced. No mention was made in the report as to how law enforcement determined whether the man was intoxicated at the time of the crash.
Nevada police will need to provide evidence to back up the drunk driving claim if they expect to win a conviction in criminal court. While Breathalyzer and blood tests as well as other forms of roadside sobriety tests can be used as evidence in court, prosecutors will also need to prove these tests were conducted in accordance with the law. If attending officers infringed on the rights of the accused, the evidence could be deemed inadmissible in the case.
Source: lasvegasnow.com, “1 dead in 4-car crash Saturday morning“, Jonathan Cisowski, Oct. 31, 2015
