Freedom denied for suspect in fatal crash

Kim Smith

Wednesday, May 24, 2000 | 11:17 a.m.

A Las Vegas man charged with causing the crash that seriously injured a Megabucks winner and killed her sister lost a chance at freedom this morning.

Defense attorney Lew Brandon Jr. attempted to convince District Judge Sally Loehrer that prosecutors don't have enough evidence to hold Clark Morse on charges that he was involved in the March 11 crash that killed Lela Anne Jay, 45.

Brandon told Loehrer that a pedestrian who saw the accident was only able to identify Morse as the driver after seeing his picture "plastered all over TV."

However, Deputy District Attorney Bruce Nelson told the judge that there is plenty of other evidence tying Morse to the crime. Morse told a Channel 13 reporter he was driving the vehicle, a button matching those on Morse's shirt was found in the vehicle and the vehicle is registered to Morse, Nelson said.

Loehrer said all the state needed was the one eyewitness and denied the defense motion to free Morse. She granted another defense motion that will allow jail personnel to take Morse to his podiatrist for office visits.

According to police, Morse, 57, rear-ended Cynthia Jay-Brennan's 1999 Chevrolet Camaro as the 37-year-old woman was waiting at a red light behind three other cars at Boulder Highway and Indios Avenue. Jay-Brennan's vehicle was propelled into the other cars.

Jay-Brennan, who won $35 million in January in a record Megabucks jackpot, sustained spinal cord injuries in the accident and her sister died. Those in the other vehicles received minor injuries.

Morse, who had been arrested 16 times prior to the accident for driving under the influence, is scheduled to go to trial July 31. He faces two counts of driving under the influence, two counts of reckless driving, seven counts of leaving the scene of the accident, one count of voluntary manslaughter and one count of driving on a suspended license.