Fatal crash suspect on house arrest

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 | 8:56 a.m.

A woman accused of being under the influence of drugs when she drove her car into an 8-year-old bicyclist was released to house arrest on Tuesday.

The state requested that Justice of the Peace Stephen Dahl raise bail to $500,000 from $35,000 for Kimberly Bunch, 29, who has been charged with reckless driving, manslaughter and felony DUI for the May 5 crash that left Justyne Steffee in a coma from which she never recovered.

Justyne was pronounced dead on May 19 at University Medical Center. Her funeral was Tuesday.

The Clark County coroner's office has determined that Justyne died from the injuries she suffered in the crash.

Dahl rejected the state's request and instead allowed Bunch to post the $35,000 bail if she remained on house arrest and did not drive.

The judge agreed with Bunch's attorney, Stephen Stein, who argued that Bunch, who has lived in Las Vegas for the past 29 years, has two children, a husband and lives in the same house as her mother and father, is not a flight risk.

Stein said under Dahl's order, Bunch can visit him, go to the store and go to the pharmacy, but only if someone else drives.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 20 to determine whether there is enough evidence to try Bunch, but prosecutors may take the case to a grand jury before then, prosecutors said.

Blood tests taken by North Las Vegas Police indicated Bunch was under the influence of methamphetamines and marijuana while driving her Chevrolet Lumina northbound on Revere Street, court records show.