Police: Driver accused of fatally striking cyclist topped 65 mph

A man with numerous prior traffic tickets is facing multiple charges after police said he fatally struck a bicyclist while driving nearly 70 mph in a 35 mph zone.

At around 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 23, Nathan Miller, 32, was riding a mountain bike on South Nellis Boulevard near Tropicana when a Dodge Challenger driven by 32-year-old Julius Hopkins struck Miller from behind.

Miller died the next morning at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

Police arrested Hopkins last week, and court records show he has been charged with reckless driving, child abuse, driving without insurance and operating an unregistered vehicle.

Officers who responded to the crash found a 5-year-old child in the backseat of the Dodge. Hopkins crawled out of the car and said, “I don’t know what happened; the car wouldn’t stop,” according to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report.

Crash data recorded by the Dodge, according to the report, showed Hopkins was driving 67 mph seconds before the crash. The posted speed limit on Nellis is 35 mph.

Court records show Hopkins had been ticketed nearly 20 times for violations including driving with an expired license, speeding, driving without insurance and not wearing a seat belt.

Hopkins is due in court Thursday and remains in custody on $50,000 bail.

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com.