Medical incident blamed in four-vehicle crash

By Cara McCoy

Friday, April 3, 2009 | 8:04 p.m.

Metro Police are investigating a four-vehicle accident caused by a 71-year-old woman suffering a medical episode Friday afternoon near Charleston and Jones boulevards.

Nancy Najm, 71, of Las Vegas, was taken to University Medical Center in critical condition after the collision that left three other Las Vegas drivers with minor injuries, police said.

Najm was driving her 2003 Buick Le Sabre east in the right of three travel lanes when she suffered a medical condition and struck the rear of a 1999 Dodge Neon driven by Jennie McIlvaine, 66, that was eastbound in the center travel lane, authorities said.

Najm's vehicle continued eastbound and sideswiped a 2004 Honda Accord driven by Miranda Leung, 58, as Leung tried to move into the left turn lane to avoid the collision. The Buick then rear-ended a pickup truck waiting at a red light, which is when Najm's car came to a stop.

Scott Epstein, 47, was behind the wheel of the eastbound 2006 Toyota Tacoma that was stopped in the left travel lane when it was struck.

The accident remains under investigation.