Rider on scooter dies in early Wednesday crash near downtown Las Vegas

A scooter rider died in a crash near downtown early Wednesday.

The intersection of East St. Louis Avenue and Fremont Street was closed while Metropolitan Police Department officers investigated the fatal crash.

The man riding the scooter ran a red light and hit the driver’s front side of a Toyota, Sgt. Robert Stauffer said. The impact threw the scooter rider to the pavement. He died at the crash site.

Police responded after receiving a call about 12:45 a.m.

The scooter rider was southbound on Fremont when he crashed into the Toyota, which Lt. David Gordon said was driving east on St. Louis.

Witnesses told police the Toyota driver had a green light and the scooter entered the intersection against a red light, police said.

Stauffer said speed likely wasn’t a factor, as the scooters usually top out at 25 to 30 mph.

“It’s just impacting the side of a moving vehicle at that speed and that difference in momentum change, it’s going to cause some serious injuries,” he said.

The Toyota driver was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. Stauffer said the Toyota driver’s injuries were minor.

“As that scooter hit the door, it shattered the windshield, and the driver got some cuts from the broken glass, as well as an injury to her hand,” Stauffer said.

The Clark County coroner’s office will identify the scooter rider when his next of kin is notified.

Stauffer said the scooter was recently registered under the state’s new moped registration law. He said the rider appeared to be in his late 40s.

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.