Wrong-way April crash death ruled a homicide

The death of a driver who was killed in a wrong-way car crash in April near Snow Mountain was ruled homicide by the Clark County coroner’s office.

Michael Phillip Johannsen, 29, of Las Vegas, was killed after a 2007 Chevrolet Suburban traveling the wrong way on U.S. Highway 95 slammed head-on into his vehicle.

The driver of the Suburban, David Beckstrand, 40, also of Las Vegas, purposely caused the crash to kill himself, the coroner’s office said Monday.

Johannsen’s death was ruled a homicide, the coroner’s office said Friday. He died of multiple blunt-force injuries.

Nevada Highway Patrol responded to the crash about 4:15 p.m. April 19, between the cutoffs for Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon roads, after Beckstrand had been driving recklessly and crashed into the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro that Johannsen was driving, NHP said the night of the crash.

Beckstrand and Johannsen died at the scene.

The collision sent Johannsen’s Camaro into a 2015 Subaru Impreza WRX that then struck a semi-truck.

The 34-year-old man who was driving the Subaru was taken to University Medical Center by Mercy Air with injuries that were not life-threatening, NHP said. The driver of the semi-truck, a 51-year-old man, was not taken to a hospital.

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