Impairment suspected in fatal rollover crash near Moapa

Impairment is suspected to have been a factor in a rollover crash that killed a Mesquite woman and injured a 10-year-old boy this week near Moapa, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

A silver 2004 Saturn Vue flipped about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday on the shoulder of northbound Interstate 15, about 45 miles northeast of Las Vegas, a Highway Patrol release said. Brandee Maldonado, 37, of Mesquite died at the scene, the Clark County coroner’s office said. The boy was flown by helicopter to University Medical Center with survivable injuries.

The northbound Saturn veered to the left and entered the dirt median before Maldonado overcorrected to the right, crossed all the northbound lanes and hit a traffic sign on the right dirt shoulder, the release said. The Saturn rolled over, and Maldonado was tossed from the car.

Neither Maldonado nor the boy was wearing a seat belt, the release said.

Her death marks the 61st traffic fatality investigated by the Highway Patrol in Southern Nevada this year.

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.