A serious multi-vehicle collision has left one driver with life-threatening injuries in Las Vegas, as reported by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The incident, involving a 2013 Chrysler 200 and a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van, occurred on Wednesday, on Cheyenne Avenue east of Serene Drive. LVMPD's press release indicated that around 3:47 p.m., the driver of the Chrysler veered out of his lane and collided with the Mercedes-Benz before striking a construction sign trailer and a cinder block wall.

The driver of the Chrysler, identified as 73-year-old Thomas Markiewicz from Las Vegas, was subsequently transported to Mountain View Hospital with critical injuries. After having sideswiped the Mercedes-Benz, operated by 44-year-old Rene Barraza, also of Las Vegas, displayed no signs of impairment and was not injured. The Chrysler careened off the road, impacting a lighted traffic sign trailer at the start of a construction zone, according to police.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Collision Investigation Section is currently investigating the cause of the accident. While preliminary reports suggest that failure to maintain proper lane control by the Chrysler's driver might have triggered the collision, no other factors have been ruled out. The drivers were traveling east on Cheyenne Avenue when the Chrysler driver, for reasons unknown, sideswiped the van, as stated in the LVMPD report.

As the investigation continues, no citations have been issued at this time, and impairment has been dismissed as a contributing factor for the driver of the van. Striking the wall and before re-entering the roadway, Markiewicz sustained injuries that hospital staff have deemed to be life-threatening. The area where the collision took place was marked with construction indicators, which were presumably visible to motorists at the time of the accident. The involvement of any potential roadwork-related distraction or obstruction is yet to be determined.