Pedestrian killed, driver injured when van crashes into utility pole

By Brian Nordli, Paul Takahashi

Published Monday, Dec. 16, 2013 | 3:45 p.m.

Updated Monday, Dec. 16, 2013 | 11:06 p.m.

A woman was killed Monday after a van crashed into a light pole and it struck her, according to Metro Police.

Police officers responded at about 1 :10 p.m. to the crash, which happened in the parking lot of the Family Courts and Services Center, near the intersection of Pecos and East Bonanza roads.

A 69-year-old Las Vegas man was driving a 1990 Chevrolet Astro in the central lane going eastbound on Bonanza Road when the van veered to the right, struck the curb, drove up the sidewalk and crashed into a light pole.

The light pole then struck a 35-year-old woman, who was walking on the sidewalk nearby.

After striking the light pole, the van veered back onto Bonanza Road, crossed over four lanes of traffic on both sides of the street, struck the north curb and drove up onto the sidewalk. The van then entered into an adjacent parking lot, 601 N. Pecos Road, and crashed into two parked cars.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Her identity will be released by the Clark County Coroner’s Office pending notification of next of kin.

The van’s driver was taken to University Medical Center. The man did not suffer any injuries, according to a Metro Police incident report.

Monday’s pedestrian death marks the 107th traffic-related fatality in Metro’s jurisdiction this year. The accident remains under investigation by Metro’s Accident Investigations Section.