LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In the span of just five days, two more people have been hit and killed while walking our valley streets since the deadly car crash that claimed McKenzie Scott's life.
The first, happened in Summerlin near Charleston Boulevard and Town Center Drive Monday night.
VIDEO: Ryan Ketcham provides context to DUI incidents in the Las Vegas valley
Police say a person crossed a private drive while a commercial vehicle was driving down it. The vehicle hit and killed the person, then fled the scene.
Late Tuesday afternoon, on West Warm Springs Road between South Torrey Pines Drive and South Jones Boulevard, Metro Police say a car veered off the roadway, striking 23-year-old Joree Odabi and killing him.
Joree was just walking on the sidewalk.
“It’s ridiculous," said Jiffy Smog employee Jason Roop.
Roop's job is located at the intersection of Warm Springs Road and Jones Boulevard, just a couple hundred feet away from the site of Tuesday's crash.
“It makes me extra vigilant doing what I do," said Roop.
Roop says he's always on the lookout, telling me that crashes happen here all the time.
“I make sure my customers get all the way in as far as they can go, because people will just fly down Warm Springs and they’ll cut through my parking lot," said Roop.
As for Tuesday's deadly crash.
“This isn’t the first deadly incident that has been in the neighborhood," said Roop.
Channel 13 has reported many deadly crashes, including one in late March near Tuesday's crash site. Police say a car hit and killed 22-year-old Christopher Soto and sent his 14-year-old brother Carlos to the hospital.
The brothers were riding electric scooters to the park at the time of the deadly crash at the corner of Warm Springs Road and Torrey Pines Drive.
The investigation into this crash is still ongoing.
At that time, their mother, Catherine Velazquez,spoke to our reporter Jhovanni Carillo.
VIDEO: Jhovani Carillo talks to family of young man who died in electric scooter crash
“It’s the worst experience of my life, I don’t know how I’m breathing, I don’t know how I’m standing," said Velazquez
Now a memorial marks the intersection. So many families have similar devastating stories.
Two women spoke to Channel 13 during a STOP DUI event last November.
“Our husbands were killed together," said the women. “We miss them. I’m glad I have her as support.”
A candlelight vigil held on March 28 by Nevada State Police honoring deadly crash victims. Channel 13 spoke to Veronica Ramos lost her brother Antonio Aguilera.
“He lost his life June 1, 2024 due to a drunk driver going the wrong way," said Ramos.
Similar pain, separate tragedies, all connected by deadly DUI crashes.
Metro Police statistics for 2025 show there have been at least 10 DUI deaths this year and at least 23 pedestrian deaths in their jurisdiction.
That is down from last year, as there were 27 DUI deaths and 27 pedestrians killed in car crashes at the same point last year.
Despite a drop in numbers, officials say one is too many and there needs to be something to stop this issue plaguing our community.
“What we’re doing isn’t working," said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
Wolfson says he's been pushing for stricter penalties. At one point, he even tried to charge DUI resulting in death offenders with second-degree murder. The Nevada Supreme Court said no in 2020.
"I've said this many times before, the possible penalty in these kinds of cases is insufficient," said Wolfson.
Since the Nevada Supreme Court ruling, local and state officials have been pushing for stricter deadly DUI penalties.
One bill, SB304, is moving through the state legislature right now. It could increase penalties for deadly DUI and make it easier for prosecutors to get a Vehicular Homicide charge and a life sentence for offenders.
We'll keep you posted on what happens with this bill in Carson City as it is looked at by state lawmakers.
