A man fled the US after a fatal DUI crash in Red Rock Canyon; he’s now indicted
A grand jury has indicted a man suspected of driving under the influence in a fatal crash, then fleeing to Moldova after posting bail.
Iurie Trofim, 40, was indicted on counts of DUI resulting in death, duty to stop at a crash involving death or injury and reckless driving, prosecutors announced at a Wednesday hearing.
Deputy District Attorney Yu Meng asked for a no bail warrant for Trofim, a request Chief District Judge Jerry Wiese granted. On Aug. 26, the prosecutor said, Trofim was driving a truck when he struck and killed 55-year-old Carson Heath, a veteran, and fled from the scene.
The Nevada Highway Patrol previously said the crash occurred on the Red Rock Loop while Heath was riding a motorcycle.
“He’s an immense danger to the community based on the conduct he’s already committed and it’s absolutely tragic in this case that the victim, Carson Heath, survived multiple tours for our military but can’t survive the danger of a DUI driver,” said Meng.
Trofim was arrested after people called authorities to report his “reckless behavior,” according to Meng.
The Highway Patrol said in a news release at the time that it was notified by the Metropolitan Police Department that it had responded to a call involving a Ram 1500 on Blue Diamond and Cimarron roads.
According to authorities, the Ram had been followed by witnesses while it was driving on its rim and later ran off the road before it became stuck.
“He was driving on three wheels after killing Carson Heath and his car ended up on the sidewalk near a very highly populated area,” the prosecutor said.
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Trofim, not knowing about the earlier crash, Meng said.
“He was given a measly $10,000 bail,” Meng said, and was ordered to be under house arrest. But after posting bail, Trofim sold his house and flew from the United States to the Republic of Moldova, where he is a citizen and currently lives, Meng told the court.
Moldova and the U.S. do not have an extradition pact, according to the prosecutor.
Meng said he has worked with multiple agencies to try to locate Trofim and bring him back to Las Vegas.
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.
