1 dead after being ejected from van in central Las Vegas crash

Las Vegas police suspect racing was a factor in a crash early Monday that killed one person and injured four others in the central valley.

The crash happened after midnight on the 1600 block of East Sahara Avenue. A passenger in the front seat of a van involved in the crash was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle, police said. That person died at the scene.

Evidence at the scene and a witness statement indicate that a 1994 Chevy S10 pickup was speeding and racing a silver sedan on East Sahara, near South Chapman Drive, when the collission occured, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Police said a 1998 Chevy 1500 van traveling west on East Sahara tried to turn left into a private drive at 1655 E. Sahara Ave., when the pickup truck struck the front of the van, causing it to strike a light pole.

The driver of the silver sedan fled the scene.

Occupants of the pickup truck were taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medial Center, while the driver of the van was taken to University Medical Center. Another passenger of the van later took themselves to Sunrise Hospital. None suffered life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Neither driver showed signs of being impaired, police said.

This marks the 52nd traffic-related fatality investigated by Metro in 2018. The person killed will be identified by the Clark County coroner’s office.