Something’s off on Nevada’s roads – and everyone can feel it.
In just one week, three major stories from Las Vegas show how serious the state’s deadly driving issues have become.
A deadly hit-and-run involving a middle school student. A teen’s wrong-way DUI crash that killed a 10-year-old.
And public officials – people who help write or enforce the laws – now facing DUI charges of their own.
A Morning Walk Turns Tragic
On October 3, police say 12-year-old Cristofer Suarez was walking to Smith Middle School near East Owens Avenue.
An SUV hit him and sped away. The boy was thrown into a fence and died three days later at University Medical Center.
The suspected driver, Oh’Ryan Brooks, was arrested soon after.
This week, a Las Vegas judge ordered a mental competency evaluation before the case moves forward; that will pause the proceedings until doctors confirm he understands the process.
Cristofer’s death hit the community hard.
Parents have gathered at the intersection, left flowers, and even acted as unofficial crossing guards while calling for stronger safety and DUI enforcement around schools.
The City of North Las Vegas has since added official crossing guards at the intersection.
A Teen Driver, a Deadly Decision
Just a few months earlier, another Nevada family’s world collapsed.
Prosecutors say 17-year-old Henrry Norberto was high and drunk when he drove the wrong way on I-15 near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in June.
He crashed head-on into a pickup carrying 10-year-old Brandon Martinez and his dad, Glenn.
The impact flipped their vehicle. Brandon died at the scene.
Lab results showed Norberto had nearly seven times Nevada’s legal THC limit and more than twice the adult alcohol limit in his system.
Norberto had five prior referrals to The Harbor, a Clark County diversion program, related to substance abuse issues and driving without a license, according to the Review-Journal’s court-record review.
Now, Norberto will be tried as an adult.
When Officials Cross the Line
In April, Linsey LaMontagne was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
She’s director of Clark County’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), a body that works on system-wide criminal-justice issues – including DUI processing.
Another driver called 911 reporting she was “swerving” and almost leaving the road; an arrest report says LaMontagne told the trooper she’d had two shots of vodka.
She has pleaded not guilty; the county says it will wait for the court process to conclude before taking any employment action.
And she’s not the only official in trouble.
As Nevada News & Views recently detailed, State Sen. Edgar Flores (D-Las Vegas) was arrested in September on suspicion of DUI after police found him asleep behind the wheel at a traffic light.
Flores initially said he was simply exhausted and noted having supposedly blown a 0.00 breath test; however, LVMPD later said two post-arrest blood tests measured 0.082 and 0.062, with the first test over Nevada’s 0.08 limit. The case remains pending.
If the people writing and enforcing the laws can’t follow them, what message does that send?
A System Trying to Catch Up
There is some good news: the testing backlog that slowed DUI cases is easing.
After an 8 News Now investigation exposed long delays in DUI blood testing, Metro Police overhauled its lab.
The department added toxicologists and streamlined how it processes samples so prosecutors can get results sooner.
The average turnaround time dropped from 55 days to 29.
With faster results, the Las Vegas Justice Court says it is now scheduling many DUI hearings within about two months of arrest – down from roughly four months earlier in the year, according to Justice Court Chief Judge Melissa De La Garza.
This is about personal responsibility and public safety. Swift justice saves lives. Delays cost them.
Will We Learn Before It’s Too Late?
Close to 280 people have died on Nevada’s roads this year, most from impairment or speeding, according to the state’s Office of Traffic Safety.
The majority of those deaths were in Clark County. The youngest victims were still in elementary school.
Nevada is finally tightening the system, but reforms only go so far if drivers ignore the law – or when leaders don’t set the example.
Two young boys are gone. A state senator and a county official now face their own charges.
Hundreds of Nevadans have lost their lives this year alone.
There are people working on fixing the problem, but the question remains: will Nevada learn the lesson before another family pays the price?
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
