Las Vegas Criminal Defense Blog

Traffic related fatalities in Las Vegas dropped 25% from last year according to Las Vegas Metro. Non-fatal accidents in 2009 have reduced in number as well, with Metro giving out 30,000 fewer traffic tickets than in 2008. Capt. Richard Collins suggested that increased enforcement of road rules contributed to the reduction of people breaking Las Vegas reckless driving law and that the economy may have played into it as well. Alan Davidson of the Nevada Highway Patrol said, "This year, the economy is bad. There are fewer people on the roadways."

Unfortunately, the rest of Clark County didn't show an improvement in traffic accident statistics. Henderson saw two more fatal accidents than last year. Henderson police try to curb people from breaking Las Vegas reckless driving law by saturating high-traffic areas with traffic patrollers. But the Nevada Highway Patrol reported a 41% decrease in fatal traffic accidents this year.

Las Vegas reckless driving law is when someone drives with willful or wanton disregard to the safety of others or property. It's a misdemeanor if no one is hurt, but it will be charged as a category B felony if someone dies, carrying one to six years imprisonment and $2,000 to $5,000 in fines. Double that if the reckless driving occurred in a work zone.

Serious traffic accidents have been steadily declining in Washoe County. “According to the local police department,” explains Reno criminal defense attorney Michael Becker, “Reno traffic fatalities dropped 40% between last year and 2007.” In addition, injury accidents and DUI crashes have significantly decreased in the last two years as well.

Reno criminal defense attorney Michael Becker says that local law enforcement credits this reduction in traffic accidents to the “Three E Concept of Safety:” This includes the Engineering of good roads, the Education police provide to the public via traffic stops and presentations, and traffic law Enforcement. Organizations such as MADD and the Nevada Highway Patrol are contributing to this trend as well.

In addition to traffic-related tragedies becoming less frequent, homicides are also declining. 2009 saw twelve wrongful deaths as compared to twenty-three in 2006. According to Reno criminal defense attorney Michael Becker, the success of Reno police in curbing and solving crimes has a lot to do with community cooperation via the Secret Witness Program, the Neighborhood Advisory Boards, and other programs.

Read more about this story at http://www.rgj.com/article/20100216/OPED04/2160317/1003/CARSON/Michael-Poehlman-Police-citizen-partnership-is-cutting-crime-in-Reno

On Wednesday, a seventy-year-old man allegedly crashed his car through the entrance of Laughlin’s Edgewater Hotel-Casino, killing two and injuring seven. He was arrested and charged with two counts of felony reckless driving causing death and was booked into the Laughlin Jail. The suspect had only minor injuries.

Witnesses say the suspect drove past a red light and struck a raised medium before speeding into the casino. The car apparently hit at least nine people and many slot machines before finally stalling near the cashier’s cage. The two fatalities that occurred were the eleventh and twelfth in Las Vegas Metro’s jurisdiction so far in 2010.

The Laughlin Jail, also called the Tucker Holding facility, is where suspects are originally booked if they’re arrested in Laughlin. The Laughlin Jail is very small, and inmates rarely stay there for more than two or three days before either being released or transferred to Clark County Detention Center. As opposed to most jails, Laughlin Jail does not provide uniforms or commissary privileges.

On Friday, a twenty-year old man driving a pickup was allegedly speeding and ran a red light near Lamb and the Strip. Witnesses reported to police that he struck another car, causing the death of its driver and passenger. After the pickup driver was released from the hospital, he was arrested for two felony counts of breaking Nevada reckless driving law causing death.

Any person who drives in willful or wanton disregard of the safety of people or property may be charged with breaking Nevada reckless driving law (NRS 484.348). As long as no one gets hurt or killed, it's a misdemeanor punishable by a fine between $250 and $1,000 or up to six months in jail. Subsequent offenses for breaking Nevada reckless driving law carry higher fines but still a maximum six months in jail.

If this alleged reckless driving causes death, it's chargeable as a category B felony, carrying one to six years in prison and a fine between $2,000 and $5,000. (Sentences may be increased if the accident took place in a work zone.) However, if it can be shown that the driver wasn't reckless but instead acted out of simple negligence, then the appropriate charge would be vehicular manslaughter, which is punishable as a misdemeanor.

On Friday, North Las Vegas police arrested Emmanuel Gordian for allegedly hitting a motorcycle while driving in his pickup at 100 mph, causing the motorcyclist to die at the scene. Gordian will likely be charged with one count of felony reckless driving with death and one count of leaving the scene of an accident with death. So far this year, North Las Vegas has had six fatal traffic collisions.

Reckless driving in Nevada (NRS 484.377) occurs when someone operates a motor vehicle with willful or wanton disregard to the safety of others or property. If no one is hurt in the incident, breaking NRS 484.377 may result in charges as minor as a misdemeanor, but reckless driving causing death is a category B felony, carrying one to six years imprisonment and $2,000 to $5,000 in fines. And if the incident occurred in a work zone, penalties for NRS 484.377 may be doubled.

Any driver involved in a traffic accident resulting in death or bodily injury is legally required to stop and cooperate with law enforcement. Anyone who leaves the scene of a traffic accident involving death or injury may be charged with a category B felony, punishable by two to fifteen years imprisonment and $2,000 to $5,000 in fines.

Last week, Henderson resident Amanda Werber pleaded guilty to child endangerment and breaking Nevada reckless driving law (NRS 484.377) for a rollover crash on Super Bowl Sunday that injured two people. She was originally charged with driving under the influence. District judge Elissa Cadish gave her a suspended sentence of five years and a $2,000 fine.

NRS 484.377 defines reckless driving in Nevada as the willful disregard of the safety of persons or property while operating a motor vehicle. Reckless driving also comprises unauthorized speed contests on public highways.

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