Woman accused in Las Vegas crash tried to ‘eliminate evidence,’ prosecutor says
A Las Vegas woman accused of fatally hitting a pedestrian with her Tesla and then driving away told repair shops she thought she hit a coyote, according to prosecutors.
Karen Cannon, 63, was arrested Wednesday in connection with a May 13 crash in which she allegedly struck 32-year-old Patrick Deloriea as he tried to cross Rainbow Boulevard, near Vegas Drive. Deloriea was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Thursday, she was ordered held on $150,000 bail.
Cannon faces multiple charges, including two felony counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm and a duty to stop at a scene of an accident.
During Cannon’s initial appearance, she stared at the ground. At the same time, Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Scow explained how she was “driving at a high rate of speed” and had cut off another vehicle before she struck Deloriea. Afterward, he added, Cannon went to two different car repair shops trying to “eliminate the evidence on the vehicle.” The prosecutor said that she told mechanics that she “thought she might have hit a coyote.”
“In this case, she killed someone driving recklessly,” he said. “The maximum speed that was estimated was 77, in a 35 miles per hour zone.”
James Gallo, Cannon’s lawyer, said that his client had no criminal history and had recently retired. He asked for a $25,000 bond, given that she is “living off of social security.”
“According to the officers’ investigation, my client did try to have her vehicle repaired outside of insurance,” Gallo said. “She still maintains that she had no idea that she hit a human being — she knew she hit something.”
Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum ruled that monetary bail would be the least restrictive way to ensure the community’s safety and that Cannon would return to court. If she makes bail, Cannon will be put on high-level electronic monitoring and will not be allowed to drive, according to court records.
“Yes, you called AAA and eventually got hold of an attorney, but the time passed on this, and you did not go directly to law enforcement … That is concerning to the court,” Baucum said.
Cannon is expected to appear in court again on Tuesday.
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.
