Man passed sobriety test after fatal crash, but bloodwork showed impairment
An impaired driver who fatally struck a bicyclist last year wasn’t arrested until months after the crash because he passed police field sobriety tests on the scene.
Wallace Ryan, 34, was arrested on a warrant around 7 p.m. on Jan. 21, almost 10 months after the crash that killed Las Vegas resident Adam Day.
Day, 35, was struck around 8:15 p.m. on March 27 by a Jeep Grand Cherokee that ran a red light on South Nellis Boulevard at the intersection with East Twain Avenue.
Day was riding a green BMX bicycle on the sidewalk of Nellis Boulevard. He rode into a marked crosswalk and was struck by the Jeep, driven by Ryan, according to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest warrant.
Ryan wasn’t arrested the day of the crash because he passed police field sobriety tests.
He was arrested three miles from where Day was killed. When they pulled Ryan over, police noticed the smell of alcohol coming from his Audi S4 and Ryan admitted to having alcohol, marijuana, and a prescription pill recently. He failed a field sobriety test and was arrested on suspicion of DUI, according to his arrest report.
He was charged with DUI and reckless driving resulting in death for the March crash.
In addition, Ryan faces a misdemeanor DUI charge.
On March 27, Ryan was driving 80 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone, according to the warrant. An analysis of his blood found traces of THC, oxycodone and oxymorphone. While the levels of THC were below Nevada’s level for an arrest due to impairment, police said the use of different drugs together “could have impaired Mr. Ryan’s decision-making abilities,” according to the warrant.
The legal limit of THC in a person’s blood in Nevada is 2 nanograms per milliliter.
Ryan posted $7,000 bail and is due in court on June 5.
Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Sabrina Schnur contributed to this report.
