Nine hospitalized after collision

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2003 | 1:08 a.m.

Metro Police are investigating a two-car collision just after 7 p.m. Tuesday that sent nine people to the hospital, two of them children in critical condition.

Police investigators said that an 18-year-old driving without a license east on Philadelphia Avenue ran a stop sign at Arden Street at excessive speed.

The intersection is northwest of Nellis Boulevard and Sahara Avenue.

"Julianna Erives was not licensed to drive at the time of the accident," Lt. Doug Nutton of Metro's accident investigations section said. If any of the injured die, she could face manslaughter charges, he said.

Police said the Geo Metro driven by Erives, 18, who received minor injuries, hit a red four-door Cadillac Sedan de Ville driven by Joanna Gonzalez, 24, who was taken with eight other people to University Medical Center with moderate injuries.

Two girls, ages 5 and 7, were in critical condition at UMC. Their names were unavailable.

A 1-month-old infant, Andrew Gonzalez, received minor injuries. Traffic officers at the scene said it was "a miracle" that the baby escaped serious injury.

None of the children or the adults was in safety seats or wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

Eduardo Gonzalez, 2 years old, received moderate injuries and 18-year-old Anna Cortez of Las Vegas suffered serious injuries in the Cadillac.

"It happened so fast, I didn't see the stop sign," Erives said after the accident as she gazed at the Geo's crumpled front end. She said her left side hurt and she had a gash on her left arm.

Jose Gengeola, 18, of Las Vegas said he was in the back seat with his arm around his 16-year-old girlfriend, Rachael Lewis, of Las Vegas. "The next thing I knew I heard this crash," Gonzalez said.

Lewis and Victoria Gonzalez, 16, of Las Vegas were both hospitalized with moderate injuries.

Cristela Trevino lives on the corner of Philadelphia and Arden. She had just started singing "Happy Birthday" to one of her three daughters when the crash occurred.

"I heard a lot of screaming," Trevino said. "I called 911." Trevino said the city needs to install more street lights at the intersection. "You can hardly see the stop signs at night," she said.