Bicyclist killed in suspected DUI crash near UNLV identified
A female bicyclist struck and killed by a suspected drunken driver in a series of collisions near UNLV last week has been identified.
Karina Del Carmen Lopez, 37, was riding a mountain bike on East Flamingo Road beside another cyclist near South Maryland Parkway early Friday evening when a Ford pickup authorities said was driven by Marco Francisco Benitez crashed into her and the other rider from behind.
Lopez, who suffered blunt force injuries, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, according to the Clark County coroner’s office. The other cyclist, who was not identified, was critically injured and taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, authorities said.
The two cyclists were pedaling in the far right auxiliary bus lane when the collision occurred, police said.
Moments before the bike crash, Benitez, 27, driving a 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, smashed into the back of a 2011 Kia Sorento, the first of a series of collisions involving 10 vehicles, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
The driver of the Kia and four people in two other vehicles suffered minor injuries while the driver of a third vehicle suffered moderate injuries, police said. Ten people in the other seven vehicles included in the collisions were unhurt.
Benitez was arrested on felony DUI and other charges at Sunrise Hospital, where he was treated for a moderate injury.
On Tuesday, Benitez, with a large bandage on his right hand, appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court for an arraignment on felony charges.
Judge Ann Zimmerman postponed the hearing until Thursday morning after prosecutors asked for time to receive results from tests on blood samples taken from Benitez.
Court records show prosecutors have lodged five felony charges of reckless driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident against Benitez. Prosecutors said they expect to file multiple additional felony DUI charges.
The defendant remained housed in the Clark County Detention Center, according to jail records.
Contact Jeff Burbank at jburbank@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @JeffBurbank2 on Twitter.
