Las Vegas mother of three Brandy Rodemeyer is still in the hospital after a speeding, suspected drunk driver slammed into a bus stop where she was waiting on the morning of July 5. The crash happened on Washington Avenue just east of Rainbow Boulevard, and her family says she suffered substantial injuries while the driver now faces criminal charges.
Crash details from court records
According to court records, 58-year-old Toni Lesko was driving east on Washington past Rainbow when she jumped the median, hit a light pole and then plowed into the bus stop where Rodemeyer was standing. Photos shared with local reporters show the SUV with heavy front-end damage and debris scattered across the scene, details included in coverage by KTNV.
Driver arrested on felony DUI charge
Officers arriving at the crash site "observed a strong odor of alcohol" and bloodshot eyes on the driver and noted she "could barely stand," according to the arrest report cited in local coverage. Lesko was booked on a charge of felony DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on $250,000 bond, with her next court appearance set for July 22, per KTNV.
Where this happened and why it matters
Washington Avenue near Rainbow is a busy, mixed-use stretch that city planners have already flagged for safety improvements. The City of Las Vegas' Vision Zero Action Plan lists portions of both Washington and Rainbow as priority corridors for safety countermeasures. A regional crash study has repeatedly tagged sections of Washington as high-crash locations, bolstering calls for street design changes to better protect pedestrians and people waiting at transit stops (RTCSNV crash analysis). Recent coverage of a multi-agency Super DUI Blitz detailed dozens of DUI arrests and hundreds of citations over the holiday weekend, with local reporting noting the campaign helped get impaired drivers off the road.
Rodemeyer's message to drivers
Speaking from her hospital bed, Rodemeyer said she hopes what happened to her will be enough to make someone think twice before getting behind the wheel after drinking. "It's not worth it. Please, don't do it," she urged. She added that she felt "lucky enough to wake up" and is now focused on healing and getting back to her three young sons.
What's next
Lesko's arraignment and next hearing are set for July 22 in Clark County court, where prosecutors will determine how to proceed with the felony DUI charge as the case advances. Safety advocates and local officials say it will take both aggressive enforcement and smart street design to bring down pedestrian risk, a point echoed in recent reporting on crash trends and holiday enforcement efforts.
