LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A memorial is growing in the southwest part of the valley as family and friends mourn the loss of a 23-year-old man killed in a crash on Thursday.
Clark County School District police say they attempted to stop the driver of a minivan for possible drug activity near Sierra Vista High School, but the unidentified teen driver sped off instead, running a red light at Windmill Lane and Torrey Pines Drive.
That’s when 23-year old Jeffrey Gonzales was hit and killed while driving down the road.
He lived less than half a mile from the crash site. Family and friends say Gonzales was a graduate of Sierra Vista High School where he played on the baseball team. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for his funeral.
Witnesses at the crash site say speeding is the number one problem in the area.
“I heard people yelling for a long period of time. Prior to them putting the signal in a couple of months ago, this was a dangerous intersection and has had a lot of accidents,” said Michael Martin a resident in the area.
“I just saw parts of the car on the road even after they left. I can’t even recall how many accidents there are on Windmill and Torrey Pines at least over a dozen I’ve seen and encountered,” Annabell Tirre tells 8 News Now.
As for the teen driver, police say he showed signs of impairment at the scene of the crash. He now faces charges including, DUI resulting in death and reckless driving resulting in death charges. Because he is a juvenile, police have not released his identity.
Tirre lives across from where the accident took place and worries someone will crash into her backyard.
“Every day I do worry because people go speeding down on Windmill and afraid that someone is going to go through that wall someday who knows,” Tirre expressed.
