LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The suspect accused of failing a field sobriety test following a deadly multi-vehicle crash in the south valley appeared before a judge Sunday afternoon.
The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Maximiliano Chavez, is facing several charges including three felony counts of reckless driving, and three felony counts of driving under the influence one of which resulted in death.
Chavez’s bail was set at $250,000. He’s set to be back in court Tuesday morning.
“I heard a loud bang and crash,” said Alec Duvane who works near the site of a devastating crash at Las Vegas Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road Saturday afternoon. This is where Windmill Lane meets Blue Diamond.
While he didn’t want to be on camera, he told us about the quick response from bystanders to help those hurt. “A bunch of people just kind of helping clear the scene. One of the people who was at the scene came into my shop and told me they were giving CPR on somebody,” Duvane said.
Police investigators said Chavez blew through a red light crashing into a car that was turning left. This led to two other cars getting hit impacting more than a dozen people in the crash. A 37-year-old pregnant woman is now fighting for her life in the hospital, after her baby was killed in the crash. A nine-year-old boy was also critically injured.
“The area that you see behind me is the result of an impaired driver that took the life of a child that hadn’t even been born yet and had the opportunity to breathe,” Lt. Cody Fulwiler said during a news briefing after the crash.
FOX5 obtained this surveillance video, showing the moment a driver blew a red light, crashing into a car turning left onto Las Vegas Boulevard.
“Speed, impaired driving, and fail to yield right of way are our top causal factors in all collisions that we see this year. This collision will have a fatal number attached to it,” Fulwiler added.
This makes 112 traffic related deaths metro police have reported so far this year.
Metro crime statistics show roughly 25% of those deaths are tied to DUI related incidents.
“It ultimately is your decision when you are behind the wheel. When you are riding a bicycle, when you are riding a motorcycle, when you are walking on a roadway to pay attention. To not get behind the wheel if you are driving impaired, either by alcohol or drugs,” Fulwiler said.
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