Various charges to be filed in Thompson death

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002 | 10:52 a.m.

An indictment was expected to be unsealed this morning against the 21-year-old Las Vegas man accused of causing the crash that killed Las Vegas Sun Vice President and Associate Editor Sandy Thompson.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker said a Clark County grand jury Tuesday returned a three-count indictment against John Simbrat.

Simbrat will face one count each of driving under the influence of a controlled or prohibited substance, causing death, felony reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter.

Simbrat is currently being held without bail in the Clark County Detention Center. Booker said he intended to ask Chief District Judge Mark Gibbons to set a $1 million bail this morning.

According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, Thompson was third in line at a red light at the Las Vegas Beltway and Far Hills Avenue on Aug. 9 when Simbrat's sport utility vehicle hit a dividing wall at a high rate of speed and plowed into Thompson's Toyota Camry, pushing it into and underneath the pickup truck in front of her.

Thompson, 53, died at the scene, and the drivers of the other two vehicles were uninjured. Simbrat was taken to University Medical Center in serious condition, but was eventually released.

Booker said initial NHP reports indicate Simbrat was traveling at least 20 miles an hour over the posted speed limit of 45 mph. His vehicle traveled 300 feet after he struck the wall and before he hit Thompson's vehicle.

Tests also showed that Simbrat had seven times the amount of THC in his blood than is allowable under law, Booker said.

THC is the active ingredient in marijuana. Under a Nevada law, anyone with 2 nanograms of marijuana per milliliter of blood is presumed to be under the influence of the drug.

Simbrat's blood also showed that marijuana had begun breaking down into other substances, called metabolites, Booker said. Simbrat had 22 times the amount of metabolites allowed.

Driving under the influence of a controlled or prohibited substance is punishable by two to 20 years. Reckless driving carries a one- to six-year prison sentence and involuntary manslaughter is punishable by one to four years.