After Arbor View student’s death, Las Vegas plans ‘safety enhancements’

Roads near Arbor View High School, where senior McKenzie Scott was killed by a suspected drunken driver, will receive new “safety enhancements,” according to a Wednesday statement from Las Vegas officials.

The announcement came about a month after students and parents rallied near the school, advocating for stronger traffic safety measures within the neighboring crosswalks. They complained of faded pedestrian road markings and selfish driving behavior.

“We wish that safety enhancements could prevent tragedies on our roadways, but the difference-maker is that everyone in the community must be responsible and make good decisions while using the streets,” Mayor Shelley Berkley said in a news release. “My heart goes out to McKenzie’s family and friends and the entire Arbor View family for this senseless and tragic loss.”

Authorities have said that Scott, 18, was walking in a marked crosswalk on North Buffalo Drive and on her way to school to pick up graduation regalia on May 2 when Keenan Jackson, 37, sped through the junction, striking and killing her.

Jackson, who police said struggled to stand upright while being questioned at the scene, has since been indicted by a grand jury on one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless driving. In his arrest report, police noted that his blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit.

The release also said that after Scott’s death, the city of Las Vegas conducted a traffic study, analyzing Buffalo Drive between Grand Teton and Whispering Sands drives, where the crosswalk is located. The city found that all traffic safety devices on the road were “functioning properly and are appropriate for the traffic and pedestrian patterns on the roadway.”

Still, officials decided to install overhead flashers, add pedestrian signs, and repaint the crosswalk where Scott was hit.

Improvements will also be made to Whispering Sands Drive, near Arbor View’s main entrance, the release said. The city plans to install a new crosswalk and permanent concrete roadway dividers in 2026.

In the release, Las Vegas officials urged the public to report any concerns or dangers on valley roadways online at www.lasvegasnevada.gov/report or by calling 702-229-6331.

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.