A Las Vegas man made his initial court appearance yesterday following a DUI crash that resulted in the death of an unborn child and left a juvenile with life-threatening injuries. As reported by News 3 LV, 27-year-old Maxamiliano Chavez is facing multiple charges, including DUI resulting in death and substantial bodily harm and reckless driving.
Chavez, who had a prior DUI arrest from 2021 and had previously failed to appear in court, was reportedly set a bail at $250,000 by Judge Amy Ferreira, and is subject to high-level electronic monitoring. "He poses a danger to our community based on the facts of this case," the prosecutors pointed out in court, as per reporting from KTNV. According to officials, he admitted to consuming alcohol and marijuana before the incident, although he contested the marijuana use in court.
This latest tragedy occurred last Saturday when Chavez ran a red light at the intersection of Blue Diamond Road and South Las Vegas Boulevard, crashing into multiple vehicles. An adult and a juvenile are hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, including a fractured skull and brain bleed for the young person, while other victims in the crash received minor injuries, according to KTNV. The conditions of the two critically injured victims remain uncertain.
The fatal collision involved a total of four vehicles and 17 people. Chavez, who also received medical attention post-crash, failed a field sobriety test and faces charges of reckless driving and DUI resulting in death and substantial bodily harm, as originally reported by Hoodline. The crash caused significant delays and road closures around the impacted intersection, with investigations to follow.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances leading to the crash, and the region mourns the loss of a future life and the suffering of the injured. Chavez is due to return to court tomorrow, according to court documents.
