‘She has a name, and she has a family’: Relatives mourn woman killed in hit-and-run

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a hit-and-run crash that left a pedestrian dead late Thursday night.

While neither the coroner nor police have confirmed the victim’s identity, family member Susie Vail said it was her niece, Yvette Denise Jenkins, who died.

“She has a name, and she has a family,” Vail said.

In a news release, Metro said that evidence at the scene indicated that the pedestrian was crossing from the west to the east side of Boulder Highway outside a marked or implied crosswalk just before 10:55 p.m. An unknown vehicle was traveling north on Boulder Highway approaching Mayorga Street.

The pedestrian, identified by police as a 54-year-old woman, was struck by the vehicle, Metro said.

According to Metro, the driver of the vehicle failed to stop and fled the scene in an unknown direction.

Arriving medical personnel pronounced the pedestrian dead, police said.

“She was a wonderful, amazing lady,” Vail said, adding that the family were notified of her death on Friday morning.

Originally from West Covina, California, Jenkins was a Las Vegas resident of around 40 years, according to Vail.

The family is still trying to understand exactly what happened. “It’s all kind of a blur right now,” Vail said.

The woman’s death marked the 78th traffic-related fatality in Metro’s jurisdiction in 2024.

“She was a very kind, loving daughter, sister and niece,” Vail said of Jenkins.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Collision Investigation Section at 702-828-3595. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555, or visit www.crimestoppersofNV.com, or use the mobile app “P3.”