2 dead after sports car crashes near Las Vegas church

A man speeding in a sports car at over 100 mph crashed into a wall bordering a central Las Vegas church early Tuesday, killing himself and his passenger and knocking out power to several businesses, police said.

Las Vegas police Lt. David Gordon said officers were called at 5:16 a.m. to the intersection of Jones Boulevard and Saddle Avenue, near Flamingo Road, for the single-vehicle wreck.

“One occupant was pronounced deceased at the scene and another occupant was pronounced deceased at the hospital,” Gordon said.

The 2012 Chevrolet Corvette, police said, traveled through a brick barrier and median fence, coming to rest in a parking lot of the St. Simeon Serbian Orthodox Church on Jones. Metro’s traffic unit tweeted Tuesday that the car was traveling “at speeds 100+ mph.”

Police later said in a press release that the driver, a 34-year-old Las Vegas man, lost control of the Corvette northbound on Jones “at a high rate of speed.” The car struck a center median, then took out an NV Energy power pole.

The driver was rushed to University Medical Center but died at the hospital. The passenger, a 34-year-old Las Vegas woman, died at the scene. Their names were not immediately released by the Clark County coroner’s office pending notification of next of kin.

The church where the Corvette came to rest is the same church where Tina Tintor, 23, was memorialized during a funeral in November. Tintor was killed in a high-profile fiery crash involving former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs, who is now charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence in a high-speed crash that also involved a Corvette on Rainbow Boulevard.

Las Vegan Davelyn Silva said she usually frequents the area to check on some residents she knows who live in the area, but she wasn’t able to access their homes because of the crash.

“It’s very sad,” Silva said as she stood across from the crash scene. “Very sad.”

Jones was closed at Flamingo in both directions until Tuesday afternoon. A resulting power outage caused by the crash, meanwhile, brought challenges for nearby businesses.

A manager at the Chickpeas Mediterranean Cafe said the business was without power, preventing the restaurant from fulfilling a breakfast catering order.

Staci Munford and other employees at One Stop 4 Flooring got a surprise when they arrived to work Tuesday morning.

“We came into work and our building is completely dark. We couldn’t do anything,” said Munford, office manager for the business at 6150 W. Flamingo Road.

“It’s rough,” Munford said. “People are coming through the parking lot trying to get around it, so the parking lot is busy.”

Power was restored in the area by Tuesday afternoon.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.