Zaon Collins faces wrongful death lawsuit over fatal crash

Former UNLV hoops enlistee Zaon Collins has been sued by the household of a antheral killed successful a suspected DUI clang that landed the prospective subordinate successful jailhouse past year.

The lawsuit, filed Nov. 29 successful Clark County District Court, alleges wrongful decease and negligence and seeks undisclosed punitive damages.

Collins had not responded to the suit arsenic of Friday, according to tribunal records, and an effort to scope him done his lawyers successful the transgression lawsuit was not successful.

Eric Echevarria, 52, was driving to his southwest Las Vegas location connected Dec. 30 erstwhile Collins, who was speeding successful a 35 mph residential neighborhood, broadsided him with his Dodge Challenger, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Echevarria, a U.S. Army seasoned and a revered Clark County School District custodian, died connected the mode to the hospital. Collins, 20, was booked connected DUI and reckless driving counts aft constabulary recovered “a green leafy substance accordant with marijuana,” according to his apprehension report.

The suit was filed connected behalf of Echevarria’s wife, Ann Marie Echevarria, and his son, Eric Echevarria Jr.

Collins’ lawyers successful the transgression case, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, antecedently have accused Echevarria of causing the crash.

In a 43-page motion, the attorneys wrote that video capturing the moments of the clang showed Echevarria’s sedan attempting to crook betwixt 2 vehicles.

“The video makes it wide that determination was nary country for Mr. Echevarria to crook without causing a collision,” the question stated. “As a result, it was Mr. Echevarria that proximately caused the collision.”

Collins remains connected location apprehension nether the information that helium not portion alcohol, devour drugs oregon drive, Las Vegas Justice Court logs show.

In March, a region expansive assemblage declined to indict him connected the DUI count, truthful prosecutors moved the lawsuit backmost to Las Vegas Justice Court, wherever Collins is adjacent scheduled to look Jan. 6 for “negotiations.”

Collins, who played constituent defender astatine Bishop Gorman High School, had signed a missive of intent to play hoops astatine UNLV, but that statement was rescinded aft helium was charged successful the crash.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez astatine rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow him connected Twitter @rickytwrites.