A tragic incident occurred within a Las Vegas gated community on Saturday, June 7th, when a vehicle reversed out of a garage and struck a pedestrian, later identified as 73-year-old John Godenzi. According to information provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), witness statements, and video evidence from the scene suggested that the driver, Catherine Godenzi, was in her vehicle with the door open and John Godenzi standing next to her when the accident happened.
Despite all life-saving efforts, John Godenzi succumbed to his injuries on June 9th. The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner notified LVMPD onFriday that Godenzi had passed away. However, due to the accident's occurrence on private property, his death will not be recorded as a traffic-related fatality. For unknown reasons, as the victim stood trapped between the door and the vehicle, the vehicle knocked the victim to the ground as it backed down the driveway and struck a light pole across the street.
Emergency response teams transported John Godenzi to the University Medical Center Trauma Center, where he was initially found to have sustained life-threatening injuries. Catherine Godenzi, aged 32, was the driver seated in the 2022 Kia EV6 during the collision and did not report any injuries at the time of the crash.
The investigation into this unfortunate event is still active and being conducted by the LVMPD Collision Investigation Section. As the community grapples with confronting the reality of this loss, authorities are seeking further insights to piece together the cause of this collision. The LVMPD is examining the evidence from the scene as the vehicle continued to reverse, ultimately bringing John Godenzi's life to a premature end across the road.
