Monday was already a busy day for local law enforcement and rescue crews, who seemed to be going nonstop. And that didn’t stop once the sun went down.
At about 5:26 p.m. calls flooded into the dispatch calling center of a two-vehicle accident on Pioneer Boulevard at Turtleback Road, a familiar place for many who know that trying to turn from Turtleback onto Eastbound Pioneer Boulevard can be tricky due to the restricted views from the hills to the right and the bushes in the medians.
Vehicle one, a silver Pontiac van was turning left, or westbound onto Pioneer Boulevard from Turtleback Road. This would be the opposite side of Turtleback that people take to get to the Overton Power District.
Vehicle two, a red Isuzu Rodeo, was also traveling westbound on Pioneer Boulevard and was unable to stop in time, creating an impact that caused major damage to the Pontiac, sending it onto its side and forcing emergency crews to cut the driver out of the vehicle. The Isuzu had some major front end damage, but the driver was able to exit the vehicle safely without assistance.
Additional crews were called in from Clark County Fire & Rescue as well as Beaver Dam Fire to assist with medical aid and traffic control.
According to a statement from Sergeant MaQuade Chesley, the Mesquite Police Department’s Public Information Officer, both drivers were found to be at fault for the situation.
“This scenario is not one that we see everyday,” said Chesley. “Usually only driver #1 is issued a citation because they caused the accident due for the most part because they violated a traffic law. However, in this case driver #2, although they were not at fault, they were issued a citation due to using their cell phone while driving. This is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t be on the phone while we are driving. Although driver #2 did not violate a traffic law that caused the accident they violated the traffic law (cell phone) which perhaps, if they weren’t on the phone, they would have been more alert to avoid the accident that driver #1 caused by failing to yield.
“The investigation resulted in driver #1 (Silver Pontiac Van) being issued a citation for failure to yield right of way at intersection and no proof of insurance. Driver #2 (Red Isuzu Rodeo) was issued a citation for unlawful use of a handheld electronic device while driving. Both drivers were transported to Mesa View.”
The status of both drivers’ conditions was unavailable Tuesday morning. Check back for more photos as we post them and further updates. All photos by Stephanie Frehner.
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