Two killed in accidents

Monday, Nov. 17, 2003 | 10:34 a.m.

Two teens were killed in separate crashes on or near the Las Vegas Beltway during the last three days, law enforcement officials said.

A 19-year-old woman was killed early Saturday when she was ejected from a car on the beltway near Sahara Avenue, Trooper Angie Wolff of the Nevada Highway Patrol said. The woman, identified by the coroner's office as Kristi Sue Morales of Las Vegas, was not wearing a seat belt. She had been a passenger in the car.

The 24-year-old driver of the vehicle, whose name was not available this morning, lost control of his car shortly after 6 a.m. and it rolled several times. He suffered serious injuries, Wolff said.

On the previous morning, a 17-year-old boy had been discovered dead in a wrecked vehicle near the beltway.

A construction worker had arrived at the beltway construction area near El Capitan Way about 5:30 a.m. Friday and discovered a wrecked 1999 Ford Taurus with two teens inside, Metro Police Detective Doug Nutton said.

Thomas Andrew Baggett of Las Vegas was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. The driver of the car, Matthew Reed, 19, of Las Vegas, was also in the wreckage but had survived. He was taken to University Medical Center with serious injuries.

Investigators determined that the Taurus, heading north on Grand Canyon Drive, failed to stop at a stop sign at Darling Road and went past the signs that warn of a dead end and no outlet, police said.

The car entered a construction storage area and traveled over a manmade dirt berm before heading down a 70-foot slope, rolling onto its roof and sliding to a stop.