Teen pleads guilty in crash that killed girl

A Henderson teenager pleaded guilty Wednesday to involuntary manslaughter and aggressive driving charges stemming from a November crash that killed a Coronado High School sophomore.

During a hearing in Family Court, David Jensen, 16, admitted to driving 62 mph in a 25 mph zone on Nov. 14 when his 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup crashed on a winding stretch of Grand Hills Drive, near Eastern Avenue and Sun City Anthem Drive. Olivia Hyten, 15, a passenger in the truck, was partially thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.

Another teenage passenger suffered broken vertebrae and internal bleeding.

At a hearing last month, Deputy District Attorney Mary Brown said passengers in Jensen’s truck begged him to slow down on the night of the crash. Right before Jensen lost control of the truck, a passenger said, “I don’t want to ... die,” Brown said.

Jensen told Henderson police that he was street racing the son of District Judge Donald Mosley before the crash, Brown said. But other witnesses, including Jensen’s passengers, couldn’t confirm that, so 16-year-old Michael Mosley was not charged in Olivia’s death, she said.

Mosley was charged with driving under the influence and carrying a knife.

Jensen was arrested Dec. 4 and initially charged with involuntary manslaughter and two counts of reckless driving. Under a plea agreement, one count of reckless driving was dismissed and the second was changed to aggressive driving.

Olivia’s mother, Teresa Brandise, did not agree with the arrangement.

“I didn’t feel this was fair,” she told Family Court Judge William Voy.

The judge then explained that Jensen was pleading guilty to the most serious charge, and she sat down.

Jensen, who has been at the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center since his arrest, will be sentenced Feb. 5.

His lawyer, Bill Terry, asked Voy to release the teen until sentencing, but Voy refused.

“It’s called a process of atonement,” the judge said. “I think that process starts now.”

Jensen faces a variety of punishments in the juvenile system, ranging from probation to commitment to a state youth correctional center.

“Hopefully, he can be an asset for the future,” Olivia’s father, Tim Hyten, said after the hearing.

Olivia’s family will host a golf tournament called the Liv-On Memorial in her memory. The tournament was scheduled for Feb. 14 at the Legacy Golf Course in Henderson.

Seth Glasco, Olivia’s uncle, said relatives hope to raise money and create a charity to help families pay for funerals of children who die prematurely.

For more information on the golf tournament, contact Glasco at 623-249-9041 or sethglasco@gmail.com.

Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0281.