Man with 3 previous DUIs accused in new DUI hit-and-run crash

Emilio Archila, 26, faces new DUI hit‑and‑run charges after allegedly striking a wheelchair user on South Rancho Drive and fleeing the scene. Archila appeared before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure early Tuesday, where the justice upheld a previously set bail of $500,000. Court records show Archila has three prior DUI arrests and convictions in the Las Vegas Valley. He was incarcerated in August 2024 for a term of 14 to 48 months following a DUI conviction, according to District Court and Nevada Department of Corrections files. He is now charged with two counts of DUI causing substantial bodily harm given a prior DUI conviction, reckless driving, and failure to stop at the scene of a Thursday night collision on South Rancho Drive near Sahara Avenue. The Metropolitan Police Department reported that at 9:56 p.m., a 61‑year‑old man was pushing a wheelchair northbound on Rancho Drive adjacent to the eastbound curb when a 2016 Audi A3 traveling northbound drifted to the right and struck him. The victim’s identity has not been released; he was taken to University Medical Center with life‑threatening injuries. Police said the Audi’s driver sped away after the impact, later became involved in a second crash on Teddy Drive, and fled that scene as well. Officers eventually located the Audi and arrested Archila. Authorities have not yet released his blood‑alcohol level or details of what substances they suspect he was under. During a brief court appearance Tuesday, Archila was asked whether he had received a copy of the complaint charging him with four felonies arising from the crashes. He replied, “Yes, your honor.” The Clark County public defender’s office was appointed to represent him. Bonaventure ordered that if Archila posts bond, he must submit to alcohol and drug monitoring and is prohibited from driving if released. Las Vegas Justice Court records indicate Archila’s first DUI arrest occurred in 2020 on a complaint of misdemeanor DUI. He was convicted, received a 30‑day suspended jail sentence, was ordered to attend DUI school, complete a victim impact panel, perform 40 hours of community service, and have an ignition interlock device installed on a vehicle. The case closed in March 2021 after he satisfied all requirements. Four months after that initial arrest, Archila was charged with a second DUI, along with accusations of driving without a license, failing to adjust speed, disregarding traffic control devices, and making an improper turn in a prohibited zone. All charges were misdemeanors; he pleaded no contest to the DUI count and received a sentence comparable to the first case. In 2022 he was cited for failing to maintain a lane, pleaded no contest, and was fined $250. Also in August 2022, Archila was charged with a third‑offense DUI. He pleaded guilty to a felony DUI in District Court and was placed in the Felony DUI Court program. He was terminated from that program in 2024 and subsequently sentenced to prison for 14 to 48 months. Archila underwent a parole hearing in March 2025, but his release date and the circumstances surrounding any potential release remained unclear as of Tuesday.