LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – North Las Vegas Police said the driver accused of driving under the influence with her 9-year-old niece in her vehicle was “emotionless” given the severity of the crash, according to an arrest report.
Christina Sorensen, 63, faces charges of DUI resulting in death, child abuse and reckless driving following the crash at Ann and Simmons in North Las Vegas Saturday afternoon. NLVPD said Sorensen’s Corvette and a Jeep collided in the intersection, killing 9-year-old Sophia Sandoval from Porterville, Calif.
Sorensen’s lawyer Ryan Helmick confirmed that Sandoval was the suspect’s niece.
According to an NLVPD arrest report, arriving officers requested additional medical services as CPR was being performed on the child, later identified as Sandoval. The child was taken to University Medical Center where she later died.
Sorensen confirmed to police that she was the driver of the Corvette but couldn’t confirm if the light was green or red when she collided with the Jeep. NLVPD Detectives said they believed Sorensen to be under the influence because she couldn’t confirm if the light was red or green, and because she was “emotionless considering the injuries of her passenger.”
Sorensen consented to field sobriety tests and blood testing. NLVPD said she was not consistently following with her eyes and was wobbly when trying to walk on an imaginary straight line. However, when testing breath sample, Sorensen blew a .000, according to the arrest report. Police said they believed Sorensen was under the influence of narcotics and requested she do a blood draw.
The results of that blood draw are not yet known.
Sorensen had no prior arrests, no out of state criminal record and a valid license, the arrest report said.
NLVPD said Sandoval was in the front passenger seat. The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles recommends children sit in the back seat until they are 12 years old, though 2016 Chevrolet Corvettes don’t have a back seat.
Sorensen’s bail was set at $100,000 in a hearing Monday morning, with high-level monitoring, drug testing and no driving. Prosecutors had asked for those same conditions but $350,000 bail, Sorensen’s lawyer said.
Sorensen’s next court appearance is set for Aug. 7.
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