Reckless driving penalties increase in Nevada under Rex’s Law

Rex’s Law became Nevada law after Gov. Joe Lombardo signed the Senate bill increasing penalties for reckless driving into law Tuesday afternoon.

Lombardo signed Senate Bill 322 just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. The newly signed law increases the sentences for reckless driving resulting in substantial bodily harm or death while going more than 50 mph over the speed limit or while driving in school or pedestrian safety zones.

The previous law carried a sentence of one to six years in prison with a fine ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.

Now reckless drivers who were going more than 50 mph over the speed limit, or who were driving in a school zone or pedestrian safety zone, at the time of collision will face a sentence of six to 10 years, with the same fines as before. The penalty for reckless driving resulting in substantial bodily harm or death when the driver was driving less than 50 mph over the speed limit will not change under the new law.

The initial version of the bill proposed increasing sentences to one to ten years for drivers going under 50 mph and eight to 20 years for drivers going over 50 mph at the time of collision, but was amended before passing unanimously in the Senate in April. The bill later passed unanimously in the Assembly in late May.

The bill was called Rex’s Law in honor of Rex Patchett, a 13-year-old boy who was killed while riding a scooter in front of his school by a reckless driver who lost control of his car while going over 90 mph.

Sen. Jeff Stone, R–Henderson, first introduced the bill to the senate after Jason Patchett, Rex Patchett’s father, reached out to him and Assemblyman Toby Yurek, R–Henderson after the driver responsible for his son’s death received the previous maximum sentence for reckless driving.

Patchett said he felt “bittersweet” about the bill being signed into law.

“It’s bitter in that our family will forever grieve the loss of our precious son Rex,” Patchett said, “and sweet in that we are honored to represent our son Rex’s legacy by helping future victims of reckless driving.”

Contact Mark Credico at mcredico@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Instagram @writermark2.