Crash-related fatalities in Nevada worst in 14 years

With conscionable nether 1 period near successful the year, 2021 is already the deadliest connected Nevada roads successful 14 years.

Through November determination person been 349 crash-related fatalities, trailing 2007’s full of 373 deaths, according to Andrew Bennett, Nevada State Police spokesman.

“We inactive person 3 weeks near successful the year, and successful 2007 it was astatine 373, and I deliberation that we’ll extremity up close astir there,” Bennett said. “December is an highly deadly clip for us, and it’s a constituent of concern.”

The highest decease full noted by the state’s records that day backmost to 1991 is 2006, erstwhile 431 fatalities were recorded.

The postulation decease number during the archetypal 11 months of 2021 is 20 percent supra the 292 seen during the aforesaid span past year.

Of Nevada’s total, 209 of the deaths person occurred connected roads successful Clark County, authorities information revealed.

Deaths of motorcyclists connected authorities roads person seen a melodramatic spike, going from 55 done November 2020 to 71 done the archetypal 11 months of 2021, representing a 29 percent increase.

Speed and impairment proceed to beryllium the 2 biggest contributing factors to fatal crashes. Those 2 factors were emphasized successful the Nov. 2 wreck involving then-Raiders subordinate Henry Ruggs.

Prosecutors accidental Ruggs was traveling 156 mph soon earlier impact, with a humor intoxicant level measured a 0.16 percent, doubly the ineligible bounds for Nevada drivers, erstwhile helium crashed into the conveyance driven by 23-year-old Tina Tintor, sidesplitting the pistillate and her dog.

Although that lawsuit has received overmuch attraction owed to Ruggs’ status, Bennett said that with the magnitude of deadly crashes occurring successful the state, astatine immoderate constituent everyone volition endure the effects of one.

“We person to get folks to recognize that if you haven’t been affected by postulation safety, it’s a substance of erstwhile astatine this point,” Bennett said. “It’s preventable, but we’re astatine the constituent wherever we’re having much than 1 fatal each day.”

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said 1 mode fatal crashes could beryllium decreased is by holding those who person postulation citations accountable, to curb unsafe driving behavior.

That is proving to beryllium somewhat difficult, Lombardo said, arsenic Clark County has a backlog of postulation citations owed to a deficiency of resources. He noted that the contented did not widen to the metropolis of Las Vegas.

“Consequences matter. It’s origin and effect,” Lombardo said Tuesday successful an interrogation with the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “If you judge that you are going to beryllium held accountable for a antagonistic action, that usually curtails antagonistic action. As a effect of the pandemic and the tribunal strategy being unopen down, we person a important backlog connected postulation citations issued to individuals successful the tribunal system.”

The sheriff said that has led to “a cognition that thing is going to hap arsenic a effect of getting a citation.”

Contact Mick Akers astatine makers@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers connected Twitter.