4 dead, 6 hospitalized in overnight crashes

Four people were left dead, six more were hospitalized and one man was arrested following several separate overnight crashes in the Las Vegas Valley Saturday.

Police responded at 10:48 p.m. Saturday to a 35-year-old man who was struck and killed by a car near Sands Avenue, west of Howard Hughes Parkway, Metro said in a release Sunday.

Statements from the driver of the car and evidence at the scene indicate the Las Vegas man was wearing dark clothing when he crossed southbound on Sands, outside of a crosswalk, and was hit by the 2002 Cadillac DeVille.

The pedestrian was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The 62-year-old driver of the DeVille stayed at the scene. He did not appear to be impaired, the release said.

Police responded about 12:30 a.m. to another fatal crash near Sahara Avenue and South Sloan Lane.

The 2008 Toyota Avalon was traveling at an “extremely high rate of speed” when the driver lost control and crashed into a light pole on the center concrete median, said Metro spokesman Lt. John Liberty.

“The force of the impact sheered open the entire passenger side of the vehicle,” police wrote in a release.

A female, front-seat passenger was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Two other females who were backseat passengers, one of whom was 13 years old, were hospitalized in critical condition. The ages of the dead passenger and the second hospitalized passenger were unknown Sunday, police said.

The 18-year-old driver of the Avalon, Tristan Hicks, and another passenger fled on foot. Hicks was later found near his home and was arrested for fleeing the scene.

Another female was killed half an hour later in a separate crash.

Las Vegas woman Jenny Chavez, 66, was struck by a car just before 1 a.m. Sunday on South Maryland Parkway, north of Sahara, Las Vegas police said Sunday morning.

Evidence at the scene and witness statements indicate Chavez was crossing westbound on Maryland, south of East Canosa Avenue, outside of a crosswalk when she was struck by a 2002 Nissan Xterra. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 34-year-old woman who was driving the Nissan stayed at the scene.

About three hours later, police responded to reports of a motionless bicyclist in the east valley.

Just before 4:30 a.m. Sunday a person was driving by East Charleston Boulevard, just west of North Nellis Boulevard, when they noticed a bicyclist laying motionless in the street, police said.

The 33-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witness statements and evidence at the scene indicate that a dark gray - possibly a Dodge Charger - was traveling eastbound in the right lane, east of Frank Street, when it struck a bicyclist riding a blue 18-speed Univega in the same lane and fled, Liberty said.

Police said the vehicle they are looking for should have significant damage to the front right side.

Police responded 45 minutes later to another pedestrian-related crash at a Las Vegas nightclub parking lot.

A man was leaving Piranha Night Club about 5:15 a.m., near Paradise Road and Naples Drive, when he put his car in reverse and accelerated at a high speed for 30 yards in the parking lot.

He struck 12 people who were in line at a food truck, and then struck and damaged the food truck, Liberty said. Four people were taken to Sunrise Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. The other eight suffered minor injuries.

The identities of the persons killed in the wrecks will be identified by the Clark County coroner’s office.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber.