School police sued in drunken driving death
Parents of a UNLV student killed by a drunken driver filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging negligence by the Clark County School District Police Department and some employees led to the 2009 accident.
Kevin Miranda pleaded guilty to felony drunken driving that killed 24-year-old Angela Peterson. He was sentenced in July to between six years and eight months and 16 years and eight months in prison.
School police allowed Miranda, 18 at the time, to drink alcohol and drive away from a holiday party, then tried to cover up any involvement with underage drinking, according to a lawsuit by Francis and Linda Peterson. It names eight police employees and Miranda and his parents and seeks more than $100,000 in damages .
School police dispatcher Rebecca Wamsley hosted the party at her home Nov. 28, 2009, and invited officers via email and fliers posted at police offices with then-Police Chief Phil Arroyo's knowledge, according to the lawsuit.
Another dispatcher's 16-year-old daughter and her boyfriend, Miranda, attended the party and drank "as much alcohol as they wanted" in "obvious" sight of police employees, the lawsuit alleged. Miranda and his girlfriend left the party with the "knowledge, consent and/or reckless disregard of the individuals who drank with him," it said.
Arroyo was accused of ordering employees to destroy party fliers and emails and did not give the findings of an internal investigation to authorities. Arroyo, who is named in the lawsuit, was removed from his post earlier this month but still is employed by the district.
Review-Journal writer Trevon Milliard contributed to this report. Contact Jessica Fryman at jfryman@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.
