This story encompasses a double-whammy of the dangerous behavior the is ever present in Southern Nevada and on Clark County roads. On the blog here at Benson and Bingham, our Las Vegas pedestrian accident lawyers recently discussed the overwhelming numbers of pedestrian casualties in Nevada and Las Vegas in particular, outlining a recent article that announced that 2017 was the deadliest year for pedestrians in Southern Nevada ever recorded. It also mentioned that 2017, at the time of the article, had six more weeks left, and noted that their was a good possibility of more people walking on or by Las Vegas roadways dying after being hit by a car. We also frequently cover incidences of people deciding to drive while they’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs, endangering others and themselves in the process. You see, Las Vegas has an extremely high numbers of DUIs each year, in part because of the culture of drinking that saturates the Strip and the city as a whole. Tourists and locals alike enjoy the thriving nightlife and bar scene in Southern Nevada, and that by itself isn’t such a bad thing. It becomes a problem when someone has too much to drink and instead of getting a ride from a friend or a cab, or renting one of Vegas’s many hotel rooms, this person decides to behave recklessly and gets behind the wheel of a car. A recent incident this week in Las Vegas has both of these occurrences.
The serious traffic fatality accident took place on the West side of the Las Vegas Valley. A pedestrian in a wheelchair was attempting to cross the street when he was hit by a car. This pedestrian, a man who has yet to be identified, was attempting to cross a major street in Las Vegas. Most locals will recognize Desert Inn Road because it bisects the city, and many readers may know that sections of Desert Inn Road can be seven lanes across, making it especially perilous for those attempting to get across it. Unfortunately for the pedestrian injured in the Southern Nevada DUI accident, he was trying to do just that- cross the street by maneuvering past all seven lanes. The car that hit him was an SUV, and presumably the intoxicated driver didn’t see the man because it was nighttime and the man had a lower profile that may have been past the SUV’s line of vision. It could have been because the pedestrian was attempting to cross outside the designated crosswalk. The driver, a Las Vegas local who is almost 60, has been identified as Fernando Fernandez. Fernandez struck the pedestrian just before 7:30 in the evening on Monday night, a few short days before Thanksgiving. Fernandez was arrested by Las Vegas Police Officers when they responded to the scene, and took him to the Clark County Detention Center where he is being held without bail for driving under the influence or DUI. The man in the wheelchair was rushed to Sunrise Medical Center to be treated for his critical injuries, but he didn’t make it. Medical staff pronounced him dead at the hospital. The man’s name is being withheld until officials get a positive identification and notify the next of kin. Because of the unique circumstances of this deadly DUI auto accident, it is still being investigated by local Las Vegas authorities.
This unnamed pedestrian may still be alive if Fernandez had not made the decision to operate a motor vehicle after consuming drugs or alcohol. DUIs are all too common in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Summerlin, and more often than not others end up paying for these reckless drivers poor choices. If you, a friend, or a family member has been hurt or killed in a DUI related accident in Southern Nevada, you should fill out the consultation form on the contact us section to start working with experienced attorneys right away. The lawyers at Benson and Bingham are professionals who have spent many years working with cases related to traffic injury and fatality as a result of DUI. Someone else’s mistakes shouldn’t go unchallenged. Call them today to start working towards the compensation you deserve.
