Report: Suspect told witness he was 'trying to beat the light' before deadly Las Vegas crash

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — New details have emerged about the deadly crash Saturday that left one man dead and another facing multiple charges, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Police said the incident began in the parking lot of a business in the 4000 block of West Charleston Boulevard.

Lt. Monique Rodriguez described it as a “crime of opportunity” that ultimately led to the death of a passenger in a black Hyundai Sonata.

You can watch that full briefing here:

According to LVMPD, a witness called 911 around 11 a.m. to report a crash between a black Hyundai Sonata and a silver Kia Sedona. Officers arrived to find two people inside the minivan, which had significant rear-end damage. Both were taken to University Medical Center.

The witness told police the Sonata rear-ended the Sedona while it was stopped at a red light, then continued forward without slowing, hitting a curb, displacing a landscaping boulder, and striking a light pole before coming to a stop. She estimated the Sonata was traveling about 50 mph at impact.

Inside the Sonata were driver Harold Vance Allen and passenger Benito Saragosa. Both were taken to UMC, where Saragosa died from his injuries.

Police interviewed Saragosa’s mother, the registered owner of the Sonata. She said she had picked up her son earlier and driven him to Walmart. Saragosa stayed in the car because of knee pain while she shopped, leaving the keys in the ignition so he could use the air conditioning.

When she returned about an hour later, she could not find her car and then discovered it at the crash scene. She told police no one else was in the vehicle when they arrived at Walmart, and no one else had permission to drive it.

Allen told investigators that his girlfriend had driven him to Walmart in her black Toyota Camry, and he fell asleep in the car while she shopped. He claimed the next thing he remembered was starting a car and then nothing until after the crash, saying the gas pedal had stuck.

However, another witness told police that after the crash, Allen said, “I was trying to beat the light,” before losing consciousness. The same witness said Saragosa, appearing confused, asked, “What happened? Where am I?”

According to LVMPD, Allen is facing charges of:

• Open murder with a deadly weapon
• Grand larceny of a motor vehicle
• First-degree kidnapping
• Robbery