Noel Lardeo, a first-grade teacher, speaks with attorney Warren Geller during a preliminary hearing at the Regional Justice Court Monday, April 2, 2012. Lardeo is accused of being under the influence of alcohol in February when she lost control of her car, striking a bus bench and critically injuring a 15-year-old boy on Spring Mountain Road.
Thursday, April 5, 2012 | 11:45 a.m.
Sun Coverage
- Teen who lost leg testifies in teacher's DUI-related hearing (4-2-2012)
- Judge sets preliminary hearing for teacher in DUI-related accident (2-7-2012)
- Bail set at $250,000 for teacher arrested in DUI case that critically injured teen (2-7-2012)
- Teacher identified as driver in Sunday morning accident that critically injured teen (2-7-2012)
- Woman arrested for DUI after fatal accident (2-6-2012)
Noel Lardeo’s drunken driving/injury case will go before a Clark County District Court judge next week.
Lardeo, a Las Vegas elementary school teacher, was arrested after crashing her car into a bus stop two months ago and striking a 15-year-old boy, dismembering one of legs and nearly cutting off the other.
Following a preliminary hearing this week, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum has ruled there is enough evidence to send Lardeo’s felony case forward.
Lardeo is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. April 11 in District Court. She is being held in the Clark County Detention Center on $250,000 bail.
Lardeo, a first-grade teacher at the Roger Bryan Elementary School, is charged with a class B felony of driving and being in actual physical control while under the influence of intoxicating liquor causing death and/or substantial bodily harm to the victim.
During her preliminary hearing earlier this week, witnesses said they saw Lardeo driving her 2005 Accura through a stop light, move into the center lane, then saw her car “drift” to the right before jumping the curb and running into the bus stop at 5:08 a.m. Feb. 5 at Spring Mountain and El Camino roads.
Conan Obenchain, who was sitting at the bus stop, was brought into the court in a wheelchair to testify. Obenchain said he didn’t remember the accident.
But Obenchain told the court that half of his left leg had to be amputated and that his right knee was shattered.
Kenneth Mancour, a Metro motorcycle officer who arrested Lardeo, said Lardeo failed three field sobriety tests at the scene.
Prosecutors say she also failed a blood alcohol test that showed she had at least .08 percent alcohol in her bloodstream, which is the legal threshold for drunken driving.
Officers said Lardeo has said she had had only a few drinks the evening before and that her tire had blown, causing her car to crash.
Meanwhile, KSNV Channel 3 is reporting that a fund has been set up at Nevada National Bank to help pay the Obenchain's medical expenses. Anyone who would like to donate can do so by using account No. 2103206.
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