An off-duty sergeant with the Nevada Highway Patrol had marijuana in his system when he crashed a pickup and triggered an accident that left a woman dead last month, Las Vegas police said Tuesday.
Sgt. Edward Lattin, 46, was arrested and booked Tuesday afternoon into the Clark County Detention Center after he turned himself in. He's charged with one felony count of drug-related driving under the influence resulting in death, police said.
Police accuse Lattin of causing the death of 49-year-old Ying Warren in a three-car accident that happened June 11 near Rainbow Boulevard and Hacienda Avenue. Two other accident victims were taken to University Medical Center where they were treated and released.
Police took a sample of Lattin's blood on the day of the accident. A blood test determined that marijuana was in his system, police said.
Daniel Burns, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Public Safety, said Lattin has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending an internal investigation.
He said he didn't know how long Lattin had been with the highway patrol or when his leave took effect. Burns said nothing positive has resulted from the accident. Lattin is a supervisor who leads a team that investigates fatal crashes.
"This whole event is just a tragedy that grows by the moment," Burns said. "A life was taken. A person was injured. Property was destroyed, and now what was an otherwise outstanding career appears to be in peril."
Lattin remained in custody Tuesday night. His initial court appearance is Thursday.
Las Vegas police initially said the accident might have been triggered by a diabetic episode. Lattin was not arrested at the scene.
Witnesses told police that Lattin appeared to be intoxicated. Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Monty Hall said on the day of the accident that police did not have the authority to give Lattin an alcohol breath test, but Lattin voluntarily took one. Hall and other officials with Las Vegas police could not be reached late Tuesday to comment on the specifics of the crash investigation.
Lattin was not driving a Highway Patrol vehicle during the crash.
Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said Lattin deserves due process.
"Just because you have the presence of THC or marijuana in your system, that does not mean you were high on marijuana," Peck said. "It could be you had marijuana in your system that you smoked six days before. It stays in your system a long time."
Peck and Allen Lichtenstein, general counsel for Nevada's ACLU, said the state law is flawed because it can convict people who've used marijuana for driving while impaired even though that might not be the case. Under the law, it is illegal to drive with slight amounts of marijuana in the body.
Warren was in the passenger seat of a Toyota Cressida that was headed south on Rainbow Avenue when the car was hit by a Ford F-150 driven by Lattin.
Lattin also was southbound on Rainbow when he lost control of his truck. His vehicle veered east and struck the Cressida, which was preparing to turn left.
Lattin didn't slow down and drove over the right side of the Toyota's trunk and roof. The truck flipped onto its side and the Toyota moved into the path of a Chevrolet S-10 that was headed north on Rainbow.
Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.
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