A pedestrian was struck and killed before dawn on West Sahara Avenue east of South Valley View Boulevard, and the driver who hit him kept going. Las Vegas police say the crash happened at approximately 4:41 a.m. on October 13, 2024, when a white 2021 Honda Accord sedan traveling eastbound in the leftmost of three travel lanes struck a man who was crossing Sahara Avenue northbound outside a marked or implied crosswalk.
The impact threw the pedestrian forward onto the roadway, where he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The Honda continued eastbound on Sahara Avenue. LVMPD said this was the 122nd traffic-related fatality in its jurisdiction. By mid-March, the department had recorded its 38th such fatality, in a separate pedestrian hit-and-run on the same stretch of Sahara Avenue, as described in an earlier LVMPD release.
LVMPD's Collision Investigation Section is handling the case. Nevada Globe reported that Metro logged it under event number LLV241000048525 and that the pedestrian was a 55-year-old Las Vegas man whose identity was pending next-of-kin notification, according to the outlet. Fox5Vegas, however, reported that the Clark County Coroner identified the man as Michael Hobbs. The reports differ, and the LVMPD release listed the pedestrian's identity as pending when it was issued.
What Investigators Are Looking For
Nevada Globe reported that investigators were examining evidence from the scene and commercial surveillance video as they worked to identify the vehicle. The outlet described the suspected car as a 2021 Honda Accord and reported that investigators were seeking a vehicle with significant front-end damage.
Nevada Globe also reported that eastbound Sahara Avenue was closed during the investigation and that Clark County Fire Department responders went to the scene after emergency calls. The outlet said investigators were asking local automotive businesses to watch for a damaged vehicle.
A Pattern on the Same Stretch of Road
This is not the first fatal hit-and-run to strike a pedestrian on this section of Sahara Avenue. The March 2024 case, in which a 2015 Nissan 370Z struck and killed a pedestrian near the same intersection, ended when driver Angelo Pascua returned to the scene a few hours later and identified himself, leading to his arrest on a hit-and-run charge, according to the LVMPD. A separate incident at Sahara Avenue and Valley View Boulevard involved a white GMC truck that struck and left the scene of a male victim; the driver was later identified as Mariana Armenta-Jauriqui, who was arrested on an open-murder charge with a deadly-weapon allegation, as reported by KTNV.
Who Was Killed in the March Crash?
In its coverage of the separate March 2024 fatal hit-and-run just east of Valley View Boulevard, 8 News Now identified the pedestrian as 34-year-old Lavan Canada and reported that a Nissan 370Z struck him as he crossed the eastbound lanes outside a marked crosswalk.
What Nevada Law Requires — and What Drivers Face
Under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 484E, drivers involved in a crash that causes injury or death must stop, remain at the scene to fulfill statutory requirements, provide identifying information and render reasonable assistance. Leaving the scene of a fatal crash is a category B felony carrying a mandatory prison sentence of two to 20 years and a fine of $2,000 to $5,000; the sentence cannot be suspended or replaced with probation, according to the statute and Nevada Globe's report.
Investigators are asking anyone with information, including witnesses and people with relevant dashcam footage captured between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., to come forward. The LVMPD Collision Investigation Section can be reached at 702-828-3595, while tipsters can also contact Crime Stoppers of Nevada at 702-385-5555, with tips leading directly to an arrest or indictment potentially qualifying for a cash reward, according to Nevada Globe's reporting.
