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StumbleWoman, 29, accused of DUI in fatal morning crash
Friday, April 9, 2010 | 10:20 a.m.
Fatal crash
A 28-year-old Las Vegas man is dead after police say a suspected drunken driver rear-ended his car early this morning in the northwest valley.
Miranda Dalton, 29, of Las Vegas, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on one count of driving under the influence after the crash at 3:18 a.m. today at Cheyenne Avenue and Soaring Gulls Drive, which is west of Buffalo Drive.
Metro Police said Dalton was driving a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee westbound on Cheyenne when the Cherokee failed to slow and struck the rear of a 2003 Buick Century.
The driver of the Century was taken to University Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, police said. His identity will be released by the Clark County Coroner’s Office pending notification of family members.
Dalton is being held without bail. This is the 20th fatal crash in Metro’s jurisdiction this year.
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sickening.
it is sickening this happens so much in las vegas.
we HAVE to put on our big boy pants and send people to jail for 10 years MINIMUM and they never get to drive again.
period.
In the former Soviet block a DUI resulting in death got the firing squad. I am against the death penalty but this is at the level of first degree murder.
Consumption of alcohol combined with an automobile is just the same as Russian Roulette, only it's the other guy who gets killed, not the one with his finger on the trigger. I say again that modern smart cars should be required to have as standard issue built in onboard breathilizer systems which the driver must pass before the car can be started and operated.
that kind of big brother is okay? i like the mandatory 10 years for DUI fatalities better.
What's big-brotherly about it? They didn't suggest putting surveillance cameras in a car. Just a device that doesn't let you drive it if you're too intoxicated. That's a considerable difference.
And people who drive drunk obviously do not care or do not think about the penalties. Maybe they'll be in jail and be of no harm, but there are apparently plenty of other drunk drivers around here to take their place. So that leaves us pretty much with either the need for police on every corner with check points or making bartenders and friends-who-let-friends-drive-drunk be legally responsible. Those sound a whole lot more like big brother to me.
Do we somehow KNOW that this person was driving while drunk? Are we simply taking Metro's word, which in many instances is no good? I suggest all the hysteria stop until the accused has had a fair trial. I am not defending drunk drivers, but please folks, let's get some facts before we assume someone is guilty just because the police think she is. Good grief.
Death penalty.
Good grief - not! The grief this man's family must be experiencing is real and devastating, regardless of whether or not the driver at fault was DUI. Unless the driver of the Jeep was stationary and the driver of the Buick backed into her at an elevated rate of speed, the woman killed another human being through gross negligence. Let the facts fall where they may, she's still guilty of murder! And the fact still remains - there is no such thing as "good" grief.
there's teaser...ever the bleeding heart liberal.
no, they don't care about the penalties NOW because there ARE no real penalties.
make it 10 years in prison and ENFORCE that and people will either be smart enough to say "you know...i should probably skip that next drink" or...or...if they can not take personal responsibility for their behavior (a concept liberals don't understand)...they go to jail for 10 years so we don't have them driving among us so they don't kill YOUR family.
On board breathalyzers don't test for the presence of drugs, how about a blood test before the car will start? They also don't test for aggressive driving, how about a Rorschach test before the car will start? 2/3 of fatal accidents are from causes other than driving under the influence, how about we give a full license exam and a road test before each drive to the corner store?
Close to home, literally...
2020 and cars that drive themselves cant get here fast enough. Even by 2015, vehicles that stop themselves when they detect another car in front of them will be in the market.
It cant get here fast enough. In the mean time we should buckle down on DUI. 10-20 yrs in jail if your DUI ends up killing someone, 5-10 if it injures, 1-5 if you just get caught.
Part of the issue here is that the drunk person doesn't have the ability to make a judgement call. Even if we impose stiffer jail penalties, it won't stop the person who was going to make a poor drunken decision to drive. What about taking away more drivers licences? Making drunks take the bus, or a cab. I dont have an answer...
This seems like it is an everyday occurrence, someone killing or injurying (generally killing) innocent people and the drunks surviving. I have a son (my only child) on Nellis AFB and I worry about a drunk driver hitting him and sersiously injuring or killing him. He is too young die at the hands of complete idiots who are too stupid to call a cab, friend or family member for a ride.
To stevem -
Because the strick death penalty in Texas really seems to be preventing crime there. It is a proven fact that jail time is not a deterrent. Most people think they will never be caught or just plain don't think at all.
Sorry, should say "strict" not "strick"
fosimmons wrote:
"Police don't book the charge unless the facts are present."
Oh, please. We are talking about corrupt, incompetent Metro here, not legitimate police. Be that as it may, do you really think anyone booked on any charge the police want to book them on should automatically be presumed guilty? If so, why not just do away with courts and juries? I hope we never become such a horrible police state.
When are people going to realize that driving hammered is no joke? Trust me,it's no joke.
she WAS drunk and she killed my brother to all of you pleading her case save it she was a worthless piece of filth that took the life of a man that most people even myself could never hope to come close to
I can't believe what I am reading here about ppl blaming the cops and talking about corruption. This guy was a co-worker of mine and a very nice person and now he is dead because someone made a bad decision. It's not oops I had to much to drink and I fell on your car or tripped you. It's more like oops I am drunk and rammed you with a speed car and now you are dead. That doesn't cut it for me.
You want to blame the cops, all I can say is you are way out there and have no concept of reality. Everytime a drunk driver gets behind the wheel, nothing good can come of it. To bad it takes something like this for people to realize it can happen to them.
My sincere condolences to this young man's family. I am so sorry for your loss. I hope Ms Dalton is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which unfortunately is not nearly enough punishment.
I have to wonder if the people who are defending this woman are drinking and driving themselves?? If she is found to have had too much alcohol in her system, she should get life in prison, not 10 years. This family that lost a loved one won't get a 10 year sentence!!! The laws will never change because there's too many damn judges and lawmakers that drink and drive! How many innocent people have to die before we wake the hell up?? My sympathy to the family and friends of this totally "innocent" man who lost his life!!
To: The victim survivors of this DUI curse.
My heart goes out to you and your family. I too am a victim of a DUI. I was a Motorcycle Policeman in 1986 when a DUI hit me head-on and left me for dead on the street. It took me three years to recover, I was fortunate I had a lot of support to help me through this nightmare.
There is a non profit organization called "STOP DUI', that has been in existance for approx. 20 years that supports victims and victim survivors in the Las Vegas area. Please contact us if you would like our help.
Just an old cop reflecting,
Gordon Martines
President/Co-Founder STOP DUI INC.
This probably happens more around the valley than we know about, we just hear the ones that are reported. Why can't the establishments that serve alchohol have signs that remind customers to call for a ride.If I'm in a bar and see someone thats drunk heading for thier car I always offer them a ride or offer to call someone for them.
Another ignorate stupid drunk driver that killed an innocent man, what is it going to take before this nonsense needs to be stopped literally...
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Japan are three countries that I was aware of that will impose the death penalty on drunk drivers as I did not know Russia was either, as the United States is the most leanient country on drunk driving still to this day as it is such a money maker in direct and indirect capitalism.
Alcohol tax = money
Court system = money
Property damage = money
Hospital services = money
Doctor services = money
Therapy treatments = money
All this is related to alcohol.
The penalty for the first offense should be 10 years minimum, and a fatality involved should be life sentence or death sentence.
This public safety is supposed to care for the safety of it's citizens on using the roadways, and thats a bunch of croc for the past 30 years as 50 percent of all traffic accidents are alcohol related.....CLEARLY PREVENTABLE.
I've seen on these threads concerning any fatal DUI that some people will suggest holding the bar/ lounge/ club responsible, legally. I have a thought on that (since it'll probably never happen): To anyone that works in this field, or knows someone that does, how about we start being HUMANLY RESPONSIBLE instead of waiting to be held LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE. I'm not bashing any bartender or waitress right now. I am just suggesting that if you happen to notice someone is out of control or close to inebriated, ask to call them a cab, or talk to their friend, something. It's not finger pointing or anything. Granted, it's not everyone else's job to baby-sit or make sure someone doesn't act stupidly, but if a simple "can I call you a cab?" can save one life, it'd be worth it.
Also, there are programs out there that will come and pick you AND YOUR CAR up, and drive you home safely. We see or hear those ads near New Years but there are some that are year round. Mr. Martines can probably make some suggestions, as the president of STOP DUI.
To ILOVEYOUPAUL: my prayers are with you and your family right now. I read the headline and thought (after feelings of rage at the stupidity of this "woman"): "He was just a baby"! This is so sad...
I am sure we'll hear from her friends or family, saying she'd never hurt a fly, but it just takes one selfish/ stupid act...
Tougher laws and punishments are the only way to stop drunk drivers and drugged drivers or both.
Another good example of our defense system not taking care of business.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar...
Another innocent driver MURDERED by a selfish, ignorant, self centered excuse of a human being.
First of all, I am very sorry for you loss. No family should have to experience the pain of losing someone when it could have been prevented.
Second, LVBEAR...You are anti-police. We all get it. You probably are 1) a convicted felon and are made you cannot get a good job because the police caught you committing a crime or 2) think you are a "good citizen" and should not have been given a speeding ticket on your way to work. I am going to assume number 2. If you do not want to be policed then move to a corrupt third world African country. Without the fear of getting a ticket, the drivers in Las Vegas would be even more reckless then they already are.
Also, police officers arrest when they have something call probable cause. What that means is a reasonable person would believe a crime had been committed and the person in custody had committed it. It is the duty and job of Metro to arrest when they have probable cause. It is the duty and job of the D.A. office to decide if the case is valid or should be dismissed. It is the court system that decides if they are innocent or not.
LVBear, just stop making uneducated anti-government comments. The police are the ones protecting your freedom and 1st admendment rights daily domestically.
Very sorry to hear about the victim and his family. what a tragedy! It sounds like the sister wants support through the justice system while she is laying her brother to rest. I don't think she has to worry. Our justice system works great when the facts our simple. A drunk party girl kills a innocent man, that's simple. My sympathy to the victims family. And for Miranda, the party girl, well she will have to live her life in prison so we can feel safe.
Icare2009: Thanks for your comments. I am neither #1 nor #2 in your example. I am one who believes in our judicial system, the presumption of innocence, and is not one to assume anyone is guilty of anything just because police think so. I am well-versed in probable cause. As you probably know, but did not write, there is a huge difference between arrest on probable cause and a determination of guilt. My concern in this case, and many others like it, is how often otherwise-intelligent people have the knee-jerk reaction of assuming someone is guilty just because he or she was arrested.
I am not "anti-police." I am anti corrupt and/or incompetent police. Metro has a long and embarrassing record of corruption and incompetence. It needs a thorough house-cleaning from top to bottom. This is a separate issue from the tragic death in the accident described and commented on from this article.
To LVBear: When you get caught with a smoking gun then it is what it is. Quit being a cop hater and focus on the real story. A young man died from a drunk driver. This isn't an O.J. case.
This is a devastating incident that happens far too frequently in our country. Someone had a lapse of judgment, and Paul and his family and friends will now forever pay the price.
We can learn two things from this tragedy:
1. Never Never Never Never NEVER get behind the wheel drunk, even buzzed. A cab is so much less expensive for everyone in the long run.
2. Life is fleeting. Love hard. Love openly. Forgive. And never forget that any given moment could the last.
My prayers go out to EVERYONE involved in this tragic accident. To family, friends, and loved ones, may God be with you all in comfort through your time of loss.
Remember the sum of Paul's life as Paul's loving personality, his achievements, his Paul-isms, and his contributions, connections, and gifts he shared with everyone around him. He was a wonderful person and his life blessed more people than he ever knew.
*Team Paul 4 Life*
To the family of Paul, I am so sorry and keep you in my prayers. WTF is going on? It seems I'm starting to hear about DUI deaths EVERY SINGLE DAY now. Its absolutely disgusting. I guess that the money is so g**dam**ed important to the casinos and gaming bars here and they have such pull, that our city is willing to tolerate drunken killers as long as the casinos are happy with their money.
Oh and to the people who are insinuating the cops fabricated the driver's DUI status, that's such garbage. It simply isn't done. When an accident like ths happens, the drivers are breathalyzed at the scene and blood is taken after arrest as well. Secondly, although I am not an officer, I work in a capacity that allows me to see these drivers very soon after their accidents. I can tell you, TIME AND TIME AND TIME again, these folks are DEFINITELY drunk. They can't see straight or walk and how DARE YOU lessen the seriousness of the lives they've taken and the families they've affected by insinuating that police are arresting people without cause? The cause would be that they killed people and someone called 911. Oh and then when the police get there the drunk is either sitting there in la la land, taking a pee break or walking around in a daze and smelling of vodka or beer or admitting to taking a million times dose of their psych meds.
I am sorry to hear about this incident. It happens much too often. I would not say or even think Ms Dalton had a lapse of judgement. I think she left the home knowing she was going out to drink and then out of stupidity got behind the wheel of a car to drive after drinking. I think at the age of 28 one would know when they have had too much to drink and should not be driving. The fact is she tried to drive home got in a terrible accident which caused another young man to loose his life there is not much else for her except a life sentance that would bring justice in my opinion. Her record if what I have read on here is true shows that she does not learn to well from her mistakes. I am sorry and my prayers go out to this young mans family and friends. I think nevada needs to get real tough on the laws for DUI's.