Police seek help finding driver who hit, fled as 77-year-old died
Police say residents knew him as “old man Joe.”
Nearly two months ago, Joseph Airth was walking near 1650 Quartz Avenue in Sandy Valley about 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 1 when he was struck and killed by somebody possibly driving an older model Toyota Corolla four-door sedan.
Police need help “identifying the person responsible for a hit-and-run collision that took the life of a long-time resident, ‘old man Joe’ as referred to by the residents of Sandy Valley,” Metro Detective David Figueroa wrote in an email.
The address is just south of the Idle Spurs Tavern and about two miles north of the Nevada-California state line.
The unknown driver left the scene while Airth’s life of 77 years came to an end.
Attending medical personnel declared him deceased at the scene, a near total desert landscape.
The vehicle is believed to be a 1993-97 Toyota Corolla, based on vehicle parts and witness statements, according to a new release by the fatal detail of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The death was the 76th traffic-related fatality in Metro’s jurisdiction this year.
Anyone with information is urged to call Metro’s Collision Investigation Section at 702-828-3786. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555, or go to crimestoppersofNV.com, or use the mobile app “P3.” Tips directly leading to a felony arrest or an indictment processed through Crime Stoppers may result in a cash reward.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.
