Highway death is first since trauma closure

Jace Radke and Mary Manning

Friday, July 5, 2002 | 11:08 a.m.

A pedestrian facing life-threatening injuries after being struck by a car in Henderson early this morning normally would have been sent to University Medical Center's Trauma unit.

Instead the man, whom police are still working to identify, was taken to St. Rose Domincan Hospital's Siena Campus where he died shortly after arriving.

The only level-one trauma center in Nevada closed its doors at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Henderson Police are investigating the accident that killed the pedestrian, who was crossing Boulder Highway at Pabco Road when he was hit by a car about 1 a.m.

"Often when a patient has extremely traumatic injuries, they will expire soon after reaching a hospital," St. Rose spokeswoman Becky Powell said.

Both of the St. Rose campuses are taking trauma patients and the Clark County Health District has ordered paramedics to take trauma patients to the nearest emergency room.

The pedestrian was the only local patient that died from traumatic injuries in a Las Vegas emergency room overnight. No patients were flown out of state to other trauma facilities.

As of 4 p.m. Thursday, Desert Springs Hospital reported receiving two trauma cases and Valley Hospital Medical Center had a total of three.

The pedestrian is described as a black man in his 30s, with black hair and brown eyes, and is listed as a John Doe by the Clark County coroner's office. Anyone with information as to his identity is asked to call police at 565-8933, or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Southern Nevada's blood supply was not on emergency status for the holiday. United Blood Services reported that the Suncoast set a record for blood donations raised at a single drive. More than 1,000 employees and hotel guests donated 829 units from Monday through Wednesday.

The donated blood came at a crucial time for Southern Nevada, on one of the year's most dangerous holidays for blood supplies, Steve Chitren, UBS donor services director, said.