Child dead, woman hospitalized after hit by RTC bus while crossing street in east Las Vegas valley

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A child is dead and a woman is hospitalized after they were attempting to cross a street in the east Las Vegas valley Thursday evening and were struck by an RTC bus, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

“These things are very hurtful for us all when we respond to them. Unfortunately, tonight’s event is tragic all the way around,” Metro Lt. Bret Ficklin said.

The crash, on the 4700 block of Charleston Boulevard at Lamont Street, near Nellis Boulevard, was reported just before 9:40 p.m.

Police said a dash camera video and evidence at the scene showed a woman and a child, believed to be between 5 to 10 years old, crossing Charleston Boulevard outside of a crosswalk when they were hit.

“If you look behind me on Charleston, the county has done a lot of work to try and mitigate these circumstances where we have people in the roadway illegally. They’ve put up ornamental iron on the medians to dissuade people from jaywalking across a very busy and very dangerous road,” Lt. Ficklin said.

Charleston is also dark in that area due to street lights that are not working, added Lt. Ficklin, making it hard for drivers to see pedestrians. He urges pedestrians to use crosswalks.

“As of right now, over the last four days, this is the fourth person who has been killed on our roadways since m Monday, and in each incident, those individuals were in the roadway under circumstances where they should not be.”

The child was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman was taken to University Medical Center where she remains in critical condition. Ficklin said the relationship between the child and woman is not known.

Police said impairment and speed do not appear to be factors in the crash but it remains under investigation.