Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011 | 6:14 p.m.
Sun Coverage
North Las Vegas Police said a 78-year-old woman who hit three girls in a crosswalk last month faces three misdemeanor charges that could result in a six-month jail sentence.
Police spokeswoman Chrissie Coon said the driver, Alice Alava, will be summoned to North Las Vegas Municipal Court in connection with vehicular manslaughter, failure to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and unlawfully passing a vehicle stopped for pedestrians in a crosswalk.
The accident, which happened Oct. 21, killed 6-year-old Mia Decker and injured her friends Alyssa Mowrey, 5, and Rain Mowrey, 6. Alyssa remains in critical condition at a hospital, and Rain has been released, Coon said.
Police said Alava was headed south in the right lane on Camino Eldorado, near Tropical Parkway, when she failed to stop as she approached a vehicle halted in the left lane. As she continued, she struck the children in the crosswalk, police said.
If convicted, the maximum sentence carries fines up to $1,000 for each charge, up to six months in jail total and a yearlong driver’s license suspension, Coon said.
Crash investigators also have asked the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles to re-evaluate Alava’s status to determine if her driver’s license should be revoked, Coon said.
Toxicology results show Alava did not have drugs or alcohol in her system at the time of the accident, police said.
“The driver’s actions don’t rise to the level of gross negligence,” Coon said. “What this truly (is) was a tragic mistake by this elderly woman she’s ultimately going to have to live with the rest of her life.”
Police met with the victims’ families Thursday afternoon to discuss the charges.
“They realized this was not a willful, malicious act on her behalf,” Coon said.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy