Man arrested after car hits, kills girl in North Las Vegas

By Rachel Crosby Las Vegas Review-Journal

10 years ago

Anthony Lauria, 28. (Courtesy/North Las Vegas Police Dept.)

An unidentified family member of a fatal hit-and-run victim is escorted from the scene of a fatal crash on North 5th Street near Lone Mountain Road Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @bizutesfaye

North Las Vegas police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash on North 5th Street near Lone Mountain Road Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @bizutesfaye

An unidentified family member of a fatal hit-and-run victim is comforted by another family member near the scene of a fatal crash on North 5th Street near Lone Mountain Road Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @bizutesfaye

Unidentified family members of a fatal hit-and-run victim comfort each other near the scene of a fatal crash on North 5th Street near Lone Mountain Road Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @bizutesfaye

A pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run near North Fifth Street and Lone Mountain Road in North Las Vegas, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @bizutesfaye)

A 28-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after police said he hit a teenage pedestrian while driving drunk and then took off, leaving her to die in the street.

Police said Anthony Lauria was heading northbound on North 5th Street, just south of Lone Mountain Road, when he veered out of his lane and hit the 16-year-old girl at 12:20 p.m. She was also headed northbound, police said, walking in the gutter area against the sidewalk when he slammed into her back.

While under the influence of alcohol, Lauria then fled in his black Ford Fusion, said officer Aaron Patty, North Las Vegas police spokesman. The girl died at the scene.

After Lauria fled, police said, he jumped out of his car and ran away. But officers quickly found the car and its driver in a nearby neighborhood, and Lauria was arrested without incident.

Lauria faces charges of felony driving under the influence resulting in death, felony duty to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death and failure to maintain travel lane.

The Clark County coroner’s office had not yet released the teen’s identity, but friends and family members took to social media to post messages and memories.

Review-Journal reporters Ricardo Torres and Wesley Juhl contributed to this report. Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com and 702-387-5290. Find her on Twitter: @rachelacrosby