PEDESTRIANS STRUCK: 12 hit by car on Strip - News

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Sep. 20, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

PEDESTRIANS STRUCK: 12 hit by car on Strip

Police believe driver had medical incident before crash

By FRANCIS McCABE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Katrina Schmidt and Timothy Nunn walk past a Pontiac that drove onto the sidewalk in front of the Planet Hollywood Resort and struck 12 people, including Nunn, about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday. Nine people, including the driver, who suffered a medical episode that authorities believe led to the incident, were taken to hospitals. None of the injuries was life-threatening. Four others suffered minor injuries.
Photo by Craig L. Moran.

Timothy Nunn was walking down the Strip telling a co-worker that he never walks down the Strip.

He wishes he hadn't made an exception on Wednesday.

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After making the comment to Katrina Schmidt, Nunn was struck by an out-of-control metallic blue Pontiac about 4:15 p.m. and tossed six feet in the air.

The 40-year-old Nunn, who was the first person hit by the vehicle, said he lay on the ground and watched as the sedan bulldozed through 11 other people on the sidewalk in front of the Planet Hollywood Resort.

Nunn counted himself lucky. Eight of the 11 others hit by the Pontiac were taken to hospitals with serious injuries. Nunn and three others walked away from the crash with only bruises and scratches.

"I just remember I flew up in the air and I flipped over. Then I watched as the car plowed through those people like a bowling ball through pins," Nunn said.

When the Pontiac finally stopped, Nunn could hear the screams. Schmidt said many of those injured suffered head wounds and were bleeding. The Pontiac's windshield had a crater on the passenger side and was missing the passenger-side rearview mirror.

Schmidt quickly focused on Nunn. "I thought he was dead," she said. "When you see someone flying through the air, you think the worst."

Las Vegas police and Clark County firefighters were on the scene instantly, Nunn said.

Fire Department spokesman Scott Allison said a triage was started and those with the most severe injuries were taken to hospitals. None of the injuries was life-threatening, he said.

The driver of the Pontiac was not acting right and might have passed out immediately before the wreck, his wife told authorities.

Paramedics believe the man was suffering from a diabetic episode and treated him for hypoglycemia, Allison said. "He came around and didn't have any memory of what happened," Allison said.

The driver also was taken to a hospital.

Paperwork given to victims of the wreck listed the driver of the Pontiac as Robert Allen Christenson of Arizona.

Police spokesman officer Marty Wright said all of the nine people, including the driver, transported to hospitals were from out of state. Their names were not immediately released.

The driver was cited for failure to maintain a lane, Wright said. He added that while it is believed that the driver suffered a medical episode, police still need to determine what caused it and whether the driver could have prevented it.

Wright said the judicial system will best determine what, if any, punishment the driver should face.

When he first heard the call Wednesday, Wright said he was brought back to Sept. 21, 2005.

That's the date Stephen Ressa drove onto the sidewalk in front of Paris Las Vegas and struck 14 people, three of whom died.

Wright, who was off-duty and at a restaurant in Paris Las Vegas at the time, jumped into the fray and apprehended Ressa before more people were hurt.

"Sadly, this type of thing can happen out here," he said.

By 6 p.m. Wednesday, a tow truck was removing the wrecked vehicle and three men had collected escort service fliers that had spilled onto the sidewalk and a bicycle that was struck by the Pontiac.

Traffic on the Strip soon returned to normal: slow and heavy.

As Nunn began to walk away from the scene, he checked his new Apple iPhone. He said it wasn't damaged. "The silicon (protective cover) works pretty well," he said.

Before heading back to work inside the Planet Hollywood Resort, Nunn added that he doesn't believe he will be walking on the Strip again any time soon.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. WM wrote on September 20, 2007 03:44 PM: Mark, you obviously know nothing about diabetes. Attacks that could render the victim unable to operate a car come on suddenly and with little warning unless the victim is not taking care of his condition. John and Edward. There is no way you can make LVB fully pedestrian as there are no real alternatives. Frank Sinatra does run behind the west side of the strip, in places and there is no access from Frank Sinatra to most of the hotels on that side. Paradise and Koval are already at capacity. And Edward, if you are still in the crosswalk when the light turns green, you did not obey the crosswalk signs and are obstructing traffic same as if you wandered across LVB from Paris to Bellagio. scott wrote on September 20, 2007 11:33 AM: Hey Edward maybe the tourist should learn that the red hand at the crosswalk means do not cross. The strip is lined with illegal Mexicans handing out porn to EVERYBODY hopefully if this happens again they will be ran over instead. I see them hanging their cards from city light poles and their competitor walks up and throws the cards on the sidewalk and puts his up there. Edward J. Cornish wrote on September 20, 2007 11:14 AM: I agree with John Messana. I have visited your great and wonderful city twicw and looking forward to it again in July 08. The strip should be a pedestrian area like Fremont Street. I saw first hand when you try to cross LVB, the taxi cabs floor it when the light goes green and almost run people over in the cross walk in front of a hotels. More people are going to be killed if something isn't done. Maybe not the whole length of the strip but maybe most of the center out. Seth wrote on September 20, 2007 08:31 AM: Its like Buddy Holly afraid to fly and when he does he dies, or the guy afraid of water and drowns get over your fears fast because your biggest nightmare may be what takes you. John Messana wrote on September 20, 2007 07:34 AM: After yesterdays trajic accident involving 12 innocent and trusting pedestrians, are we now prepared to address the ongoing problem of erratic driving on Las Vegas Boulevard. The rubber necking, diabetic episodes, etc. that claim too many of our residents and visitors. Can we finally make the Strip a Pedistrian area, European style, with a simple trolly casually roaming the length of the Boulevard. No, not another extention of that monstrous overhead that our City Fathers forced upon us, but something Disneyland like in design, on good old Terra Firma. Steve Jobs wrote on September 20, 2007 07:27 AM: As Nunn began to walk away from the scene, he checked his new Apple iPhone. He said it wasn't damaged. "The silicon (protective cover) works pretty well," he said. Sounds like an iPhone ad in the making. Mark wrote on September 20, 2007 07:05 AM: The driver knew he had a medical condition that could endanger others, but drove anyway. He should go to prison after heavy compensation to his victims. J Hewitt wrote on September 20, 2007 05:04 AM: Nunn added that he doesn't believe he will be walking on the Strip again any time soon? Ah, come one. That kind of thing can happen anywhere. If you avoided every possible risk, you would never get out of bed. I enjoy Las Vegas it's a great place. Accidents happen. Viva Las Vegas!