A 39-year-old Las Vegas man using a motorized wheelchair died after a pickup truck hit him and drove off near Judson Avenue and Rigney Lane early Saturday, police said. He was taken to University Medical Center and later died of his injuries.
What police say happened
The collision occurred around 2:45 a.m. when a westbound Toyota Tundra veered out of its lane on Judson Avenue and struck a pedestrian in a motorized wheelchair, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal. The impact sent the wheelchair into eastbound traffic, where it collided with a 2019 Toyota Corolla. The Corolla’s driver, 22-year-old Hidekel Uriarte, and his passenger were not injured or impaired, police said.
The Tundra — described as a dark-colored model from roughly 2015 to 2018 — left the scene. Investigators have opened a collision probe, per the Review-Journal.
Police seek the pickup and driver
Metro’s Collision Investigation Section is leading the case and asking anyone with information, surveillance video or dash-cam footage to come forward. Tips can be reported to the department or to Crime Stoppers; contact details are available from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
A grim tally
Police said the man’s death is the 136th traffic-related fatality in Metro’s jurisdiction this year, underscoring a deadly year on valley roads. Investigators are reviewing video and witness accounts to identify the pickup and its driver, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
What the law requires
Nevada law requires drivers involved in crashes that cause injury or death to stop, exchange information and render reasonable aid. Leaving the scene of a crash that results in death can be prosecuted as a felony; penalties can include multi-year prison terms and fines, per the Nevada Revised Statutes.
Anyone with video or tips is asked to call LVMPD's Collision Investigation Section at 702-828-3595 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555. Tips may be submitted anonymously, and Metro says information can be critical to finding the pickup and driver, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
