LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Wednesday’s late-night car crash killed three people; two others were seriously injured.
The gruesome crash in North Las Vegas left neighbors in disbelief.
“It was a loud noise like thunder,” one resident recalled. “It was crazy it was horrific.”
North Las Vegas Police said five people were riding in a red-colored Kia Soul which was reported stolen in Henderson.
The car was reportedly speeding before it hit a pole and caused the car to split in half, police said.
“It looked kind of not real, it looked like recycled metal, like a big rock,” a resident nearby told 8 News Now.
The Kia is one of many that have been part of a recent uptick in stolen vehicles.
“The only crime that we are really getting our rear ends kicked on right now is auto theft,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a recent Crime Stoppers of Nevada event.
He explained how Las Vegas has become a big part of this national trend.
“It literally takes nothing to steal a Kia or a Hyundai so if you have one get a club lock it up or put it in your garage because they are stealing them at great rates,” Sheriff McCmahill added.
Metro’s data shows car thefts are up almost 40% this year, and there are some other ways you can keep your car safe.
“Find the dash cams that are capable with GPS that you can set that up and mount it to your windshield or your dash,” Alan Almeida with Protective Force International said.
Back in June, less than a mile from Wednesday’s crash police said someone was driving a stolen Kia and was speeding with three teens inside. The car later collided with a Nissan.
The crash killed two people in the Kia as well as the driver of the Nissan.
