Truck driver drank two bottles of wine before crash with taxi, police say
A tractor trailer driver facing DUI charges after a head-on crash with a taxi van hid Xanex in his socks and told police he drank two bottles of wine just hours before the crash, according to his arrest report.
Bernard Tropp, 44, faces three counts of driving under the influence and one count of failing to stop at the scene of a crash, according to a Las Vegas police report obtained Friday.
At 9:06 p.m. on Wednesday, Tropp’s 2008 Peterbilt tractor trailer crashed into a 2012 Dodge Caravan taxi at the intersection of Dean Martin and Hotel Rio drives, police said. After colliding with the van and injuring all five of its occupants, Tropp left his truck behind and took off on foot.
Tropp was on the loose for over an hour, the report said, before a witness spotted him hiding behind a power box. A Metro officer took Tropp into custody at 10:52 p.m.
The truck driver told police he fled the scene to look for a phone to call for help, the report said. When responding officers smelled alcohol in Tropp’s breath, he admitted to drinking two bottles of Sutter Home wine about three hours before the crash.
Officers also found a bottle of 56 Xanex pills hidden in Tropp’s right sock, the report said.
The injured taxi passengers, all from Calgary, Canada, sustained moderate to critical injuries and were taken to University Medical Center, police said. On Thursday, Sammy El-rafih, 22, was listed in critical condition, Anisha Sharma, 21, and Sarah Nhung, 24, were in serious condition, and Steven Kwan, 23, was listed as moderate.
The driver, Hailemariam Wolde, 45, of Las Vegas, sustained only minor injuries.
Kwan announced Friday via Facebook that he was out of the hospital.
“Released from the hospital and will be making my way home soon. Thank you to everyone for your kind words, love, and support,” he wrote. “Please keep Anisha Sharma, Sammy El-rafih, and Sarah Nhung in your thoughts and hearts as they recover.”
Attempts to reach Kwan on Friday were unsuccessful.
Tropp did not respond to an interview request Friday from Clark County Detention Center.
Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com
