Boy, 10, injured in crash; driver arrested for DUI

Monday, June 22, 2009 | 7:16 a.m.

Crash location

A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition after the 2004 Chevy Trailblazer he was riding in crashed through a block wall and into the side of a house in the northwest Las Vegas Valley Sunday night, Metro Police said this morning.

The crash occurred about 7:28 p.m. Sunday when the sport utility vehicle, going southbound on Michael Way as it fled from two previous hit-and-run collisions, veered westbound and struck the block wall at the corner of Seattle Slew Drive, police said.

The SUV continued through the wall and into the backyard of 2429 Bay Meadows Circle, where it struck the east wall of the house and stopped, according to evidence at the scene and witness accounts, police said.

The boy, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, was taken to University Medical Center's trauma unit with life-threatening injuries, police said.

The driver of the SUV, 25-year-old Juan Esteves-Villegas of Las Vegas, was also taken to UMC with minor injuries, police said. He was arrested in connection with driving under the influence with substantial bodily harm, a felony, and child neglect with substantial bodily harm, also a felony, police said.

This collision is still being investigated by the Metro Police Accident Investigation Detail.

Discussion: 7 comments so far…

By Babyboomer

6/22/09 at 8:13 a.m.

Suggest removal

Lock him up and throw the key away...
By stevem

6/22/09 at 8:26 a.m.

Suggest removal

how much you want to make a bet that he's been busted for DUI before?

we HAVE to start putting people in jail for 6 months MINIMUM and take their license away on their first DUI.
By Narcissa

6/22/09 at 8:43 a.m.

Suggest removal

I, for one, would be interested to know if Juan Esteves-Villegas is in this country legally.
By JayeTT

6/22/09 at 10:08 a.m.

Suggest removal

The boy wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

He'd probably still be in critical condition if the driver wasn't under the influence of alcohol and had crashed. Or if someone else had hit them.
By JSpence07

6/22/09 at 5 p.m.

Suggest removal

What a wonderful parent... will Metro check to see if this guy is legal? And if he's illegal, can you PLEASE deport this guy back to wherever he came from? I feel for that little boy. An innocent child who probably does not understand drinking and driving, but will now. I'm glad he is still alive. Vegas needs harsher DUI laws for first time offenders. Arizona put those breathalyzers in cars after first offense, does Nevada do it too? If not, can we get that into law please?
By Bodytalk555

6/22/09 at 5:05 p.m.

Suggest removal

Where's I.C.E.?
By 2manyialasvegas

6/23/09 at 8:51 p.m.

Suggest removal

He's had 3 DUI's in the last 3 years and he's still driving, sounds like an illegal parasite to me.
As for as I.C.E goes, I don't even know why they're here, we have illegals working at the airport construction site and every other construction site in this town and nothing is done about it. Maybe now that unemployment is at 12% more people will force our lazy cops and sheriffs to enforce our laws instead of spending taxpayer dollars for spanshlit work shops.