Teen pleads guilty in DUI crash that injured 10 at Egg & I

A 19-year-old man pleaded guilty Thursday to driving under the influence of prescription drugs and marijuana and crashing into an Egg & I restaurant last year, injuring 10 people.

Gage Lindsey was driving his mother’s black 1993 Lexus LS400 about 12:30 p.m. April 1, 2013, when he struck a median at Sahara Avenue near Decatur Boulevard, slammed into two other vehicles and drove into the outdoor courtyard of the crowded restaurant.

The Lexus smashed through the restaurant’s window, sending 10 people to the hospital, including four who were pinned under the car. The injuries ranged from minor to critical, but everyone survived. Other restaurant patrons stopped Lindsey and a passenger in his car as they tried to run away.

Lindsey admitted to driving under the influence of prescription drugs, marijuana and “spice,” a synthetic form of marijuana.

At the time of his arrest, he told Las Vegas police police he blacked out before the crash and he didn’t know what day it was. Authorities said he appeared groggy.

On Thursday, Lindsey pleaded guilty to two felony counts of driving under the influence and causing substantial bodily harm. As part of his plea deal, Clark County prosecutors dropped four other charges against the Lindsey, who remained jailed at the Clark County Detention Center.

Lindsey agreed to the plea in part “based on the overwhelming evidence against him,” his attorney, Sean Sullivan, said outside of court.

Sullivan added that, “out of sincere remorse,” Lindsey did not want victims forced to testify at a trial.

Lindsey had faced up to 40 years in prison, but the plea agreement essentially cuts that potential sentence in half, Sullivan said.

Sullivan expected the possible 2- to 20-year sentences for both of the DUI charges to which Lindsey plead would run concurrently, meaning each would be served at the same time.

Before the plea, Sullivan filed a motion to suppress evidence of blood test results, which District Court Judge Valerie Adair denied.

Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that police must attempt to obtain a warrant before ordering blood tests on DUI suspects. Sullivan said Lindsey did not consent to a blood test, and the motion would preserve his rights on appeal.

Adair scheduled sentencing for July 31.

Contact reporter David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter: @randompoker.