Girl, 17, killed by hit-and-run driver

Heather Rawlyk

Thursday, July 22, 2004 | 9:38 a.m.

A 17-year-old girl died Wednesday night after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver while trying to cross Flamingo Road near Mojave Road.

The driver, Sara Perez, 33, of Las Vegas surrendered to Metro Police about two hours after the collision and was arrested on charges of felony hit and run with death.

Maria Denez and a friend were standing on the sidewalk in front of Sutton Terrace Assisted Living, 3185 E. Flamingo Road, about 5 p.m. when they decided to cross the street, according to Sgt. Frank Weigand of Metro's fatal detail.

Cars driving in the first two traffic lanes stopped to let the two girls walk, but a green 1994 Oldsmobile in the third lane did not yield, Weigand said. One of the girls took two to three steps into the road but turned around and returned to the sidewalk, he said.

Denez, however, kept walking and was struck, Weigand said. She was carried on the hood and windshield of the car for about 40 feet before she tumbled onto the ground and skidded for another 40 feet, he said.

The driver did not stop, police said.

Denez was transported to University Medical Center with "extremely critical injuries," Weigand said. She later died.

Weigand said hit-and-run accidents are all too common, with Metro handling an estimated 300 per month.

"Most of them are property damage, but we have a good amount of pedestrians hit and drivers fleeing," Weigand said.