Street racing blamed in four-vehicle crash
Las Vegas police believe that a street race was the cause of a four-vehicle wreck at the intersection of Desert Inn Road and Torrey Pines Drive that left one dead Friday morning.
Dwayne Spellar Jr., 20, of Las Vegas, was driving a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta up to 70 mph east on Desert Inn in what was believed to be a street race with another vehicle about 11:40 a.m., police said.
The light at the intersection with Torrey Pines Drive turned red.
The other vehicle stopped for the light, but police said Spellar sped through the red light, crashing into a 2003 Toyota Rav 4 heading north on Torrey Pines.
The Rav 4 spun into the westbound lanes of Desert Inn and smashed into a 2004 Ford Expedition, driven by Miguel Escobar, 36, of Las Vegas, and a 1992 Dodge Stealth, driven by Bobby Davis, 41, of Las Vegas, police said. Both were stopped at the traffic light.
The vehicle Spellar was racing fled.
The Rav 4 driver, a 56-year-old Las Vegas man, was rushed to University Medical Center, but he died a short time later. His name was withheld by police.
Spellar also was taken to UMC with serious injuries. Escobar and Davis suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
Investigators believe Spellar was impaired at the time of the crash.
After surgery, Spellar was arrested and booked into the jail ward at UMC for felony driving under the influence resulting in death, felony reckless driving resulting in death, vehicular manslaughter, and illegal speed contest.
