Victims identified in fatal crash

Karen Zekan

Thursday, May 14, 1998 | 10:12 a.m.

A boy and his grandmother killed Wednesday when their car was hit in the intersection of Maryland Parkway and Oakey Boulevard have been identified as Aviezer Aarenau, 5, and Hilda Aarenau, 63, of Las Vegas.

Metro Police remained late Wednesday without positive identification of the man accused of killing them, his identity instead listed as "John Doe" when they charged him after Monday morning's ugly tragedy with two counts each of reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter.

The man, believed to be about 45-50, remained in serious condition after undergoing surgery at University Medical Center.

Hilda Aarenau, who was wearing her seat belt and had Aviezer secured in a child seat, was heading west on Oakey with a green light when the driver's side of her black 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity was rammed.

The impact of the collision, which knocked the Celebrity more than 30 yards north of the intersection, killed the woman instantly, authorities said. The child died later at Sunrise Hospital.

Witnesses told police that the gold 1991 Chevrolet Cavalier that caused the accident while north on Maryland ran a red light and seconds earlier sped through the 15-mph school zone outside nearby Bishop Gorman High School.

Minutes before the crash, 911 operators began receiving numerous reports from as far away as Caesars Palace hotel-casino on Flamingo Road of a reckless driver in a gold Cavalier running red lights and swerving across traffic lanes at speeds in excess of 60 mph, Albert said.

Among them was a call from an off-duty Las Vegas fireman who attempted to follow the car from as far back as Industrial and Spring Mountain roads, investigators said.

Police were about a block away from the motorist in pursuit when his vehicle crashed into the Aarenau family's car, Albert said.

The Aarenaus marked the 45th and 46th auto-related fatalities in Metro's jurisdiction this year.

The accident remains under investigation.