Impaired driver had cocaine traces in system after fatal crash, police say
A woman drove impaired and had traces of cocaine in her system when she crashed into another vehicle in January, killing one person, according to a recently released North Las Vegas police arrest report.
Summer Butler, 37, was arrested last week and has been charged with DUI, reckless driving, and possession of cocaine.
On Jan. 14 around 11:55 p.m., Butler was driving east on East Cheyenne Avenue, past Civic Center Drive while another vehicle headed west. The other vehicle made a U-turn in front of Butler, causing the vehicles to collide, according to a North Las Vegas Police Department affidavit.
Two people were ejected from the vehicle and taken to University Medical Center along with Butler. The driver, 54-year-old Ishman Edwards, died at the hospital of blunt force trauma, according to the Clark County coroner’s office.
Edwards was not impaired, according to police spokesman Alex Cuevas.
Paramedics provided police with a small bag containing a white substance found on Butler’s person after the crash. The substance was tested and confirmed to be 0.4 grams of cocaine, according to police.
Butler’s blood had traces of cannabinoids and cocaine, and she had a blood alcohol level of .102 (the legal limit in Nevada is .08), the report said.
An analysis of Butler’s vehicle showed she was traveling about 73 miles per hour in 40 mph zone one second before the crash. When the two vehicles collided, Butler’s vehicle was going 65 mph. The brakes were not applied until a half-second before the crash, according to the affidavit.
Police found a handgun and a half-empty bottle of vodka in Butler’s vehicle.
Butler remained in custody as of Tuesday and is due in court on Sept. 12.
Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on Twitter. Review-Journal Metro intern Mark Credico contributed to this report.
