Passenger who died in car stopped at red light identified

By Mary Manning (contact), Tim Richardson (contact)

Published Monday, March 9, 2009 | 10:16 a.m.

Updated Monday, March 9, 2009 | 4:35 p.m.

Fatal crash

Woman stopped at red light dies in three-car crash (3-8-2009)

A Henderson woman riding in a car stopped at a red light in the eastern Las Vegas Valley who was killed Sunday when another car slammed into the 2008 Hyundai Tucson has been identified as 45-year-old Cindy Fletcher of Henderson. Metro Police are still investigating the crash.

The Clark County Coroner's Office said her death was caused by blunt head and neck injuries due to the collision, a spokeswoman in the coroner's office said today.

Traffic officers arrived at the crash on Boulder Highway at its intersection with Russell Road at 9:05 a.m. Sunday. Investigators said a 2003 Toyota Avalon northbound on Boulder Highway in the center travel lane rear-ended the Hyundai stopped at a red light in the center northbound lane.

The collision forced the Hyundai to roll onto its passenger side and come to rest upright in the intersection, police investigators said. Cindy Fletcher, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center's Trauma Unit, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

The driver of the Hyundai, Timothy Fletcher, 48, of Henderson, suffered minor injuries, police said. The driver of the Toyota, Karen Jaco, 53, of Henderson, suffered moderate injuries, police said.

Jaco has been cited for failing to use due care, a misdemeanor, but police have not completed their investigation of the crash, said Officer Barbara Morgan of Metro Police. No drugs or alcohol are believed to be involved in the collision, Morgan said.

The Toyota also struck a 2004 Chevrolet Venture stopped at the red light in the right northbound travel lane, police said. The driver, Sharon Murray, 64, of Las Vegas, suffered minor injuries, police said.

This is the 14th traffic fatality this year in Metro police jurisdiction.

Discussion: 5 comments so far…

By Lenny_V

3/9/09 at 3 p.m.

Suggest removal

If she wasn't drunk then she was on the damn phone. How else do you go into the back of someone stopped at a light?
What a shame! I hope more serious charges than "failure to use due care" are pending, someone has been killed because of this woman's driving.
By getalife

3/9/09 at 3:36 p.m.

Suggest removal

Lenny, I agree, if not impaired she had her head up her a$$ or someother place.

Distractions are just as bad a drinking and driving. Failure to use due care is a joke.
By William

3/9/09 at 10:09 p.m.

Suggest removal

You mean you can murder someone and only be charged with "failure to use due care"?
Way to go, Karen Jaco.

As for the deceased Cindy Fletcher, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash,
Stupid is as stupid does.
By James_P_Reza

3/9/09 at 10:19 p.m.

Suggest removal

None of you know what happened. Accidents are NOT THE SAME AS MURDER. Grow up, people. Sheesh.
By harske

3/11/09 at 7:05 a.m.

Suggest removal

Human compassion on here is astounding. Does anyone really care that a life was lost? Or are the opinions on the crash all that matter?

My sympathies to the families of all involved.

While none of us know what happened, a few suppositions can be made just from the preliminary reports. If someone rear-ends someone else at a red light with enough force to flip the other vehicle, then negligent driving of some kind was involved. You're right in that ccidents aren't the same as murder. But accidents are crashes that can't be avoided. If the crash can be avoided, then it's not an accident and negligence of some degree was involved. Depending on the degree, vehicular homicide can be charged. Look it up.

Your take on it is the exact type of attitude that allows these things to keep happening. Telling others to "grow up" because they voice their opinion on the hope of justice being served for negligent driving is as much a part of the problem as the actual inattentive driving that goes on around here is.

As soon as enough people become outraged enough about this sort of thing continuing to happen, then things will change. Until then, just realize that when you venture out onto the roads around the Vegas valley, you're life is up for grabs.