Police: Driver had drunk tequila before fiery crash killed mom of 3

His driver’s license had been revoked, but Yonas Nerea was still speeding down West Flamingo Road early that Saturday morning in a Hyundai Sonata when he plowed into another car, killing the driver, police said.

After being pulled about 200 feet from the flaming wreck, officers noticed that the 19-year-old Las Vegas man’s breath smelled of alcohol, and when an officer asked him, Nerea said he had drank tequila and smoked marijuana, according to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report.

The driver of the other car couldn’t be dragged to safety as Nerea had been, however.

Identified by the Clark County coroner’s office as Andrea Nicole Robles, 43, she was found dead in her Dodge Dart after flames had engulfed it.

A GoFundMe set up to help Robles’ family with expenses associated with her cremation and memorial service, as well as other expenses the family will be facing, said that that Robles leaves behind three daughters aged 27, 22, and 15.

“My sisters and I will forever be haunted, thinking about what our mother endured in the moments leading up to her death,” wrote daughter Briana Nixon on the GoFundMe page.

So far, as of Wednesday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised just over $3,200 towards its goal of $10,000.

“I wouldn’t wish what happened to my mom on anyone, but had this man not been drunk, the accident may have been avoided,” Nixon said in the GoFundMe, alluding to the allegations by police that Nerea had been impaired. “Please take this as a reminder to never drink and drive!”

The crash happened at West Flamingo and Lindell roads at about 3:45 a.m. Saturday. Almost immediately, the 911 calls started to come in about loud explosions and both vehicles being on fire, the arrest report stated.

According to a preliminary police investigation, Nerea’s Hyundai was traveling west on Flamingo at an “excessive speed” toward Lindell. The black Dodge Dart, heading east on Flamingo, was turning left from Flamingo toward northbound Lindell.

The front of Nerea’s Hyundai hit the passenger side of Robles’ Dodge, police said. The impact of the crash hurtled the Dodge toward the northwest corner of the intersection, where it hit a metal utility pole before coming to a stop while facing south.

“Moments after the collision, the Dodge caught on fire and was fully engulfed in flames before any citizens could help the trapped driver,” the arrest report stated.

Nerea’s Hyundai came to rest west of the Dodge and then caught on fire, police said. The driver, later identified as Nerea, got out of the Hyundai but couldn’t move because of pelvis and leg injuries, police said.

Fire crews determined that Dodge’s driver, later identified as Robles, “was beyond resuscitation and would not be transported to the hospital from the scene,” police said.

Nerea was taken to University Medical Center’s trauma unit.

Blood samples taken from Nerea were pending, as was a speed analysis, police said in the arrest report.

According to court records, a person named Yonas Nerea had been cited for misdemeanor counts of driving 41 miles per hour or more over the speed limit and driving without a valid driver’s license in early 2022, but the charges were dismissed.

Nerea faces charges of DUI resulting death and reckless driving resulting in death, according to his arrest report.

A booking photo of Nerea wasn’t immediately available.

Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com or 561-324-6421. Follow @BrettClarkson_ on Twitter.