Driver jailed in fatal crash had tequila bottle in car, police say

Police say a Las Vegas motorist arrested in a Sunday crash that killed an 82-year-old pedestrian had an open bottle of alcohol in her car and her speech was slurred.

Mariah Bragg, 23, was arrested by Las Vegas police at the scene of the 4:40 a.m. crash on Las Vegas Boulevard South at Silverado Ranch Boulevard. Police said in an arrest report for Bragg that her white Acura struck and killed Purificacion Velasco of Las Vegas as he crossed Las Vegas Boulevard eastbound against the pedestrian signal. Velasco died at the scene.

“(An officer) observed that Ms. Bragg had an unsteady gait, was emitting a slight odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage, and her speech pattern was slurred,” police wrote in the report.

Police said they looked in Bragg’s car and found “an open container of Cazadores Tequila Reposado” on a seat. Police obtained a warrant and took blood samples from Bragg, but the results of those tests were not detailed in the report.

Police initially said in a news release that Bragg was from California. They also said the crash occurred as she approached the intersection with a green traffic signal. Her arrest report, however, said she has a Las Vegas address and that a review of video from the intersection showed she entered the intersection on a “red traffic signal.”

Bragg was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and having an open container in her car. She was scheduled to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday for a status check on whether prosecutors will pursue charges in the case.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.