Local News

Actions

21-year-old identified in Monday fatal crash

Posted at 11:46 PM, Jan 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-26 22:20:35-05
One person is dead after a crash Monday night at the intersection of Lamb Boulevard and Craig Road.
 
A Dodge Charger was headed north on Lamb when a Ford Focus going southbound was trying to make left on a permissive green light on Craig around 7:40 p.m., according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Police say the car at fault side swiped the victim car causing it to flip over and hit two utility poles.
 
The 21-year-old female passenger of the Dodge died instantly. She was identified as Lizbette Dominguez of Las Vegas. She died of blunt force trauma from the crash.
 
The driver of the Dodge, 24-year-old Martin Castellanos, is still in critical condition with a skull fracture at UMC Trauma.
 
Police say the driver of the Ford, 21-year-old John Mattison, was cooperative on the scene but shaken up. He did not show any signs of impairment.
 
"Not impaired," said Sgt. Richard Strader. "Made a bad decision, made a left hand turn when he shouldn't have."
 
Bystanders are concerned and even fired up about the Lamb and Craig intersection because of the number of crashes happening there. They say the green light is not clear to drivers that you're supposed to yield when turning left.
 
"Oh it's his fault cause he didn't read the sign?! You try reading the sign at night. All you can see is that green light," said bystander Leonard Sanchez.
 
A representative with the Nevada Department of Transportation says many intersections across the valley are getting upgraded to have a flashing yellow arrow, indicating drivers should yield on the left turn. It costs about $45,000 to install the light, but some studies have shown it significantly decreases the number of crashes in the area.
 
NDOT officials say the city or the county would need to request the upgrade and no such request has been put in for the intersection at Lamb and Craig. Even though the minority of intersections have the flashing yellow arrow, more than 40 were installed in the last three years.

This is the eighth fatal crash of 2016 in Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's jurisdiction.