Police are investigating a crash they believe may have been caused by an impaired driver. Las Vegas police are still looking into what they say was a drunk driving accident that took place around 7:20 p.m. the night of Oct. 20. They have arrested one woman in connection with the hit-and-run. The woman believed responsible has been booked into the county jail.
The accident report states the accused woman was headed west when a vehicle turned left in front of her. The woman did not stop in time and her vehicle smashed into the passenger side of the left-turning vehicle. Despite the damage, the woman then drove away without offering to provide assistance or insurance information.
Both occupants of the struck vehicle were rushed to a local hospital with injuries described as critical. The driver, who is 63, does not have a positive prognosis and is expected to succumb to his injuries. The woman who drove away was located later and reportedly showed signs of drunkenness. She was charged with felony hit and run causing injury.
The report did not mention how Las Vegas police came to the determination that the woman was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Appropriate tests, such as a breath test, roadside sobriety or blood test are typically necessary to make this determination within the bounds of the law. However, even if the evidence documents that the woman was drunk driving, it also appears to suggest the woman may have had the right-of way in this scenario. If this is the case, the defense may use this as a basis for seeking reduced charges and/or a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Source: fox5vegas.com, “2 critically injured, woman arrested in northeast Vegas crash“, Brenda Yahm, Oct. 21, 2016