Bail set for man charged in fatal I-215 crash

By Jean Reid Norman

Monday, April 27, 2009 | 10:29 a.m.

The man charged with driving under the influence in the death of UNLV freshman Lindsay Bennett had a blood alcohol level of 0.20, more than twice the legal limit for driving under the influence, prosecutors said in court today.

Justice of the Peace Nancy Oesterle set bail at $250,000 for Vladimir Lagerev, 45, who has been formally charged with driving under the influence of alcohol causing death, and driving without insurance.

Lagerev had the 0.20 blood alcohol level two hours after the crash April 15 that killed Bennett, 18, a 2008 Coronado High School graduate who was majoring in architecture at UNLV, Deputy District Attorney Bruce Nelson said during the bail hearing. That is the equivalent of drinking 11 beers in one hour, Nelson said.

Police allege that Lagerev hit Bennett head-on about 9:30 p.m. while driving the wrong way on an offramp to Interstate 215 at Windmill Lane, according to an arrest report. Bennett died two days later at University Medical Center.

Stephen Stein, Lagerev’s attorney, asked for bail of $25,000, arguing that Lagerev is a citizen of the United States, has been married to a citizen for 10 years and has a 1-year-old child here. Stein said Lagerev was a famous ballet dancer in Russia who moved to the U.S. years ago to dance with the Classical Ballet of Los Angeles.

Lagerev now works as a technician for "Le Reve" at the Wynn, his attorney said.

Lagerev’s wife and several friends sat in the courthouse hallway during the hearing while about 25 friends and family members of Bennett, many wearing T-shirts with her photo on them, filled Oesterle’s courtroom.

Stein asked Oesterle for the lower bail with conditions such as intense supervision or an ankle bracelet, but Oesterle set the bail $50,000 higher than prosecutors had sought and also stipulated that Lagerev must surrender his passport and wear an ankle bracelet that detects alcohol consumption if he posts bail.

The judge set a preliminary hearing date of June 25, but noted that the district attorney’s office would try to get the case to a grand jury before that date.

Craig Marquis, an attorney representing the Bennett family, said the family had no comment on the case. Lagerev’s wife and friends also declined comment.