After she mowed down a teenager in a southeast valley crosswalk, the motorist continued on for less than a mile. But instead of returning to render aid or report the fatal crash, she arranged for her red SUV to be towed, according to Metro Police.
Crystal Nicart Helm later told detectives she was on her way home from a visit with a mechanic and that her brakes had locked after the crash. Then she said her SUV had malfunctioned right before she hit a woman, according to her arrest report.
In the end, she said she was scared to report the crash and that not being insured played a role in fleeing the scene, police said.
Helm, 34, was booked on one count each of duty to stop at the scene of an accident — a felony — and failure to exercise due care to a pedestrian, Las Vegas Justice Court records show. She has since posted bail.
Akadian Frankopoulos, 15, died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center 22 minutes after the crash, reported at 8:24 p.m. Monday on East Tropicana Avenue and South Morris Street.
An ambulance crew driving a “short distance” behind the 2002 Acura MDX witnessed the crash and immediately stopped to render aid. They described the vehicle to authorities.
The SUV, with front-end damage later linked to the fatal crash, was spotted 0.7 miles away, parked at an auto service establishment, police said. It was loaded on a tow truck when officers arrived.
Detectives linked the SUV to a temporary registration under Helm’s name, police said. The tow truck driver identified a man who ordered the service, and said he’d been met at the location by that man, another man and a woman.
Detectives drove to the address where the SUV was supposed to be towed, but couldn’t find anyone linked to the vehicle, police said. Soon, though, they received a phone call to arrange for Helm’s surrender.
Helm first said that she’d tried to stop when she saw a pedestrian but was unable to, but then said she hadn’t tried, police said. She then said she didn’t remember.
“Helm stated one of the reasons she left the scene after the collision was that she did not yet have insurance on the Acura and she did not know what to do,” a detective wrote on her arrest report.
She was cooperative after her arrest, police said.