Father mourns his daughter

Tim Hyten bought his 16-year-old daughter a car in Detroit and drove it across the country with her to Southern Nevada two years ago.

It was a bonding experience he'll always cherish. He planned to relive the experience with his younger daughter when she turned 16.

Those plans ended Friday night when 15-year-old Olivia Hyten was killed in a rollover accident in Henderson, which a witness said happened during a race between two groups of teenagers in pickup trucks.

"I got cheated out of beautiful bonding time with my daughter," Hyten said. "That's what makes you close. ... I missed that opportunity."

The accident also involved Mike Mosley, the teenage son of Clark County District Court Judge Donald Mosley, who was driving one of the two trucks, a witness said.

Donald Mosley could not be reached for comment.

Late Sunday, he released a written statement to KLAS-TV, Channel 8:

"My heart goes out to the Hyten family. There is no doubt this is a terrible tragedy. We would ask that the system be given a chance to work. My son will not run from any responsibility he has in this situation."

A witness, 15-year-old Stephen Lubawy, said some of the seven juveniles involved had been drinking.

Police reported citing one juvenile for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Hyten said reckless driving took the life of his beloved daughter, who was a sophomore at Coronado High School.

He said he'll never be able to connect with her the way he did with Olivia's sister. For that, he feels slighted.

Henderson police said Olivia was a passenger in a Chevrolet pickup that left the roadway and flipped over at Grand Hills and Villa Barolo drives, near Eastern Avenue and Sun City Anthem Drive.

Olivia was partially ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, police said.

Lubawy, Olivia's boyfriend, was one of the four people in the Chevrolet Silverado, which flipped several times after speeding at an estimated 75 to 80 mph while traveling east on Grand Hills Drive.

Lubawy said the driver of the Silverado began speeding after Mike Mosley pulled up next to him in a Ford F-250.

The driver of the Silverado lost control of the truck after hitting a curb, overcorrected and then hit the curb on the opposite side of the street before flipping three or four times and hitting a wall, Lubawy said.

"We took out most of the wall," he said.

Lubawy said he and Olivia were not wearing seat belts although the two other people in the Silverado were.

Mike Mosley and his two passengers were uninjured in the accident, Lubawy said.

Lubawy, who broke two ribs and injured his spine, was released from the hospital Sunday. He expects to make a full recovery.

Lubawy said he'll never forget his girlfriend.

"She always had a smile on her face," he said. "She had the biggest heart you can imagine."

Hyten said his daughter was always doing something, whether it was gymnastics or skateboarding.

"My daughter was full of life," he said. "A lot of people thought she was hyper, but it was just energy."

A memorial service for Olivia will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Palm Mortuary on Eastern Avenue near Robindale Road.

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.