Shot Behind The Wheel: Woman Found Dead After Dean Martin Drive Crash
An early morning crash in the south Las Vegas valley turned into a homicide investigation Sunday after officers found a woman dead inside a car that had slammed into a street sign near a Clark County fire station, authorities said.
Medical crews who responded to the scene reported the woman had an apparent gunshot wound and pronounced her dead at the site. Metro officers were called out in the pre-dawn hours to the 7500 block of Dean Martin Drive near West El Dorado Lane and quickly brought in homicide detectives to take over the case.
What Police Say So Far
According to 8 News Now, officers located the vehicle resting against a street sign near a Clark County Fire Station and found the woman inside with the apparent gunshot wound. The outlet reports that medical personnel attempted life-saving measures before she was pronounced dead, and that the LVMPD Homicide Section is leading the investigation.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that officers received a request for service around 5:21 a.m., and that Metro believes the woman had been driving the vehicle before the crash. Investigators were seen canvassing the surrounding area and processing the scene for several hours after the discovery.
FOX5 reports that the Clark County Coroner’s Office will release the woman’s identity and the official cause and manner of death. Metro has asked anyone with information to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at 702-828-3521 or email [email protected], and anonymous tips may be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or via Crime Stoppers of Nevada.
Local outlets list slightly different timelines for when the call came in. KTNV places first responders at the scene closer to 6:30 to 7 a.m., the kind of discrepancy that can surface in fast-moving situations as investigators sort out witness accounts and radio traffic. Metro has not identified any suspects or suggested a motive, and detectives are still seeking surveillance or dash camera footage from the area.
Neighbors, Footage Could Help Detectives
The Dean Martin Drive corridor has seen other shootings and violent incidents this year, according to reporting by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and police regularly stress that community tips can be critical in breaking open homicide cases. Investigators are urging anyone who saw or heard anything, or who has video from the area, to contact Metro’s Homicide Section or Crime Stoppers as the investigation continues.
