Mom killed, kids injured by truck

Keith Paul

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2001 | 11:23 a.m.

A young mother trying to guide her two small children across the street was hit and killed and her children were injured by a large truck Wednesday night.

Stephanie Paulin, 28, was crossing Valley View Boulevard at Fulton Place about 6:15 p.m. in front of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, apparently after paying a bill at Sprint. She and her children appeared to be heading back to Charleston Boulevard to catch a bus, police said.

A large truck was leaving the Las Vegas Valley Water District and turning right onto Valley View Boulevard on a green light when the driver struck Paulin and her two children, ages 7 and 4, Metro Police said.

The truck ran over 7-year-old Ariksyn's chest, but the little girl survived and was listed in serious, but stable condition this morning at University Medical Center. Her 4-year-old brother, Tristen, who was also listed in serious but stable condition; he was struck but apparently not run over.

"It's extremely tragic, especially with her kids right there seeing everything happen," Detective William Johnson, a traffic fatality investigator, said.

Paulin was crossing Valley View against a sign that prohibits pedestrian crossings, Johnson said.

Police originally thought that a Las Vegas Valley Water District truck turning right to head north on Valley View at the intersection hit the pedestrians.

But witnesses told detectives that the pedestrians were actually hit by a large white flatbed truck, and Sgt. Curt Albert said the driver of the truck may not even realize he hit anyone.

"When a large vehicle hits something like a person, sometimes the driver won't even feel anything," Albert said. "At this point we're not treating this as a hit and run."

Johnson said the truck driver may have been looking left before turning and never seen Paulin and her children crossing the street.

"Witnesses said after the accident the truck continued at a normal rate of speed, not like he was fleeing the accident," Johnson said.

Police are still investigating the accident and searching for the driver of the truck, described as a rig used to haul construction equipment. It had an orange water cooler on the back.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Detective Johnson at 229-3538 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.