LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A 10-year-old boy was killed and a 9-year-old was injured when they were hit by a pickup truck while riding an e-scooter in northeast Las Vegas Thursday afternoon.
The crash happened around 2:40 p.m. near Owens Avenue and Walnut Road, just outside a mobile home park. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said the two children were riding the e-scooter when they crossed the street outside of a crosswalk and were hit by the pickup truck.
The 10-year-old died at the scene. The 9-year-old was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
VIDEO | Hailey Gravitt reports from the scene with a reminder from police:
Police said the driver of the truck remained at the scene and showed no signs of impairment.
Parents in the area say this stretch of Owens Avenue has long been a safety concern, with frequent speeding and unsafe conditions for children walking or riding to school.
"I still take my kids to school because ever since I've seen so many kids getting hit, I would let my son walk to school, and I don't let him no more," said Jennifer Telez Martinez, a neighbor and mother. "Where we live is a 4-way stop and nobody ever stops, and then there's a 5-way stop at Lincoln Elementary, and nobody goes to school zones. So when I leave him, I go 20 because people are trying to go faster behind me, and then they're honking, so I just go a little bit slower for them to know, hey, there's a school zone."
This incident marks the 130th traffic-related fatality in LVMPD's jurisdiction this year. The crash remains under investigation.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police made an emotional plea to the community after the crash, saying they are "tired of seeing children dying on our roadways."
"We as adults that have children need to talk to our kids when they're riding bicycles, e-scooters, e-bikes," a Metro spokesperson said. "We need to understand the capabilities of these devices, and we need to have those sit-down conversations with our children."
You can watch the full police briefing here:
The tragedy comes as new data shows the scope of the problem. Clark County School District police and local police department partners have recorded that about 35% of collisions have involved e-bikes and e-scooters.
There have been 142 reports of juveniles involved in traffic collisions during school days between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. That number was recorded on October 22 — before this 10-year-old tragically died.
WATCH | New data from CCSD show alarming number of kids involved in crashes so far this year
As Halloween approaches, Metro is asking the community to keep the holiday in mind when kids will be out walking and trick-or-treating.
Police are reminding the community that driving slowly is advised for the holiday, and that it's on everyone to pay attention when on the roads.