Reckless driving law passes legislative committee — with changes

A proposed bill targeting reckless driving took a step toward becoming a law Thursday, but with changes that would lessen its proposed sentences for offenders.

Nevada’s State Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Senate Bill 322, which calls for extending sentences for reckless driving that results in substantial bodily harm or death.

The senator who introduced the bill, Jeff Stone, also requested that the bill be referred to as “Rex’s Law,” in honor of Rex Patchett, who was killed by a reckless driver last year.

Initially, the legislation sought to sentence offenders going less than 50 mph over the speed limit to one to 10 years in prison and offenders going 50 mph or more over the speed limit to eight to 20 years in prison.

But the amendments passed Thursday lessened those sentences to one to six years in prison for offenders going less than 50 mph over the speed limit and one to 10 years for offenders going over 50 mph above the limit or for offenders in school zones or pedestrian safety zones.

The current law sentences reckless drivers to one to six years in prison, with a fine ranging from $2,000 to $5,000. The fines would not change if the bill passes.

Stone credited Rex’s father, Jason Patchett, for playing a role in its creation. Patchett reached out to Stone and Assemblyman Toby Yurek, who also worked on the bill, before the reckless driver who killed Rex was sentenced. Since then, Patchett has consistently advocated for the bill.

Patchett said he was thrilled that the bill passed through the committee. He thinks a greater sentence for reckless drivers would be better, but understands that the bill language may have needed to change for it to pass.

Patchett said the bill’s ultimate goal is to increase penalties for reckless driving, which he said it still does with the amendments.

“We proposed something more stringent, but we understand that a good product needs bipartisanship and compromise to get done,” he said of the amendments.

The bill passed through the committee on what would have been Rex Patchett’s 15th birthday. His father said the victory made the very difficult day for him and his family “bittersweet.”

Contact Mark Credico mcredico@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkCredicoII.