Teenager without a driver's license kills two people in car crash in Las Vegas

Las Vegas (LAS) — A 16-year-old is accused of driving without a license and having an 11-year-old passenger with him when the car struck another vehicle.kill two men according to Las Vegas police.

The accident occurred on September 21 at around 4:30 p.m. on Lamb Boulevard near Kell Lane, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said. The teen driver, who was behind the wheel of a GMC Yukon Denali, is suspected of speeding.

Metro police said a Nissan driven by a 67-year-old driver and a 54-year-old man stopped at a stop sign and attempted to cross North Lamb Boulevard when the Denali struck the Nissan on the driver's side.

“We heard a loud bang and a grinding noise,” said Samantha Martin, who was walking the dog nearby with her partner.

“So we came to the side of the road and saw people getting out of the vehicle. We also saw people trying to resuscitate the people in the vehicle.”

Martin said the 16-year-old and the 11-year-old were still at the scene.

“We helped the little boy (the 11-year-old) who was in the other car out,” Martin said. “He was in shock, so we gave him water. We helped him calm down a little while his parents picked him up.”

The men's deaths mark the 109th and 110th traffic fatalities in Metro's jurisdiction in 2024, compared to 102 in the same period in 2023.

“Whenever one vehicle is going too fast and the other is going too slow, it is the occupants of the slower vehicle who lose their lives,” said Erin Breen, director of the Road Equity Alliance Project at UNLV.

“In case you haven't noticed, we have a terrible speeding problem in our community, and that terrible speeding problem is causing more and more people to lose their lives on the road.”

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According to Metro, 26 fatal accidents so far in 2024 have been the result of speeding, compared to 12 in the same period in 2023.

It does not track which drivers are teenagers or whether they have a license or not, but Breen said there are a significant number of young drivers on the roads without a license.

News 3 emailed Metro Police to ask if the driver was arrested or charged, but a spokesperson said there was no update.

As for the possibility of charges against a parent, attorney Sam Heidari, who is not representing any party in the investigation, said it is possible.

“It depends on the child,” Heidari said. “If the child or minor has a history of dangerous behavior. If the parent's action or inaction shows a reckless disregard for the safety of others, they could be charged with reckless endangerment or similar charges.”