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by: Julia Romero
Posted:
Updated:
by: Julia Romero
Posted:
Updated:
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — One bicyclist was killed and another injured when a driver fleeing an accident scene struck them and then crashed, injuring several other drivers Friday east of the Strip, according to Metro police.
Marcos Francisco Benitez, 27, of Las Vegas, is facing charges of drunken driving and hit and run in a crash that ended at East Flamingo Road and South Maryland Parkway shortly after 5:30 p.m., Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said in a news release.
Police said Benitez was driving a 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac east on East Flamingo Road when he hit the rear of a 2011 Kia Sorrento, also traveling eastbound.
Benitez then sped away from the scene, continuing east on Flamingo, police said in the release. Two bicyclists riding in the auxiliary/bus lane were struck by Ford Explorer as it continued to flee.
The SUV later collided “with multiple vehicles stopped in the eastbound lanes of East Flamingo Road at the South Maryland Parkway intersection,” the release said.
Medical personnel pronounced one bicyclist dead at the scene; the other was taken to Sunrise Hospital with critical injuries.
In the news release, police listed eight vehicles that were hit when Benitez crashed at East Flamingo and South Maryland Parkway.
A driver from California and three passengers were listed with minor injuries; police said one other driver had “moderate” injuries.
Benitez’s injuries were listed as moderate; he was taken to Sunrise “and is suspected of being impaired,” the release said.
A records search indicates Benitez is facing several charges, including reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and DUI above the legal limit resulting in death.
The death of the bicyclist is the 127th traffic-related fatality in Metro’s jurisdiction this year, police said.
The crash is under investigation, and the identity of the bicyclist is pending family notification.
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