Motorist in deadly DUI case went shopping after crash, police say
A driver accused of DUI in a deadly hit-and-run crash in east Las Vegas went shopping in a grocery store just moments after running over a pedestrian, according to Las Vegas police.
David Phillips, 72, of Las Vegas, is currently housed in the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of DUI, reckless driving and failure to stop at the scene of an accident.
An arrest report for Phillips states that on Thursday at 11:11 a.m., a motorist was driving a white Hyundai Sonata east on East Tropicana Avenue, near Boulder Highway, when an unidentified female walked in front of the vehicle outside of any marked crosswalk. The woman died at the scene.
A bus driver who was in the area witnessed the crash, police said, and saw the Hyundai’s driver briefly slow down as if they were going to stop, then drive off and park in an Albertsons parking lot on Boulder Highway. Police quickly went to the Albertsons and found the vehicle.
“The Hyundai displayed fresh front end damage, a broken windshield, and was spotted with apparent fresh biological material,” police said.
Police then went into the Albertsons and accessed video surveillance showing a heavy-set man emerging from the Hyundai and going into the store, according to the report.
“The male was still located in the store shopping,” police said.
Police said they identified the man as Phillips and questioned him. According to the report, Phillips told an officer “he was driving his vehicle and that he knew he collided with something but would go back and check after shopping.”
The bus driver who witnessed the crash told police the motorist appeared to be panicked in the moments after the crash.
Police said an impaired driving investigation led to Phillips’ arrest on a DUI count, but tests on a blood draw from Phillips were still pending. A criminal complaint has not been filed in Las Vegas Justice Court as of Friday morning.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.