Las Vegas police say Corazon Blackwell, 58, was traveling 93 mph in a 45 mph zone when she drove her Honda CR-V eastbound in the westbound lanes of West Sahara Avenue, east of South Tenaya Way, and collided head-on with a BMW iX driven by Alexander Archer on Oct. 15. According to an arrest report, data collected after the crash confirmed Blackwell's speed, and investigators wrote that driving more than double the speed limit against traffic during midday "can only be described as reckless."
Both drivers were taken to University Medical Center with critical injuries. The report states Archer suffered lacerations to the liver and spleen, while medical personnel "worked tirelessly for an extended period" to mechanically extract Blackwell from her vehicle. Police completed an impaired driving investigation and collected blood samples from Blackwell, though results were not included in the arrest report.
The violent impact separated the rear end of Blackwell's Honda and the left-front wheel assembly, which continued eastward roughly 60 feet. The wheel struck the windshield of a westbound Hyundai Elantra, forcing that driver off the road, before entering a nearby Hyundai dealership and damaging three vehicles. Additional debris struck a Mercedes-Benz GLC300 and damaged two other vehicles at the dealership.
A witness told police the driver of the Honda looked "crazed" while traveling the wrong way on Sahara. The BMW came to a near-immediate stop and was redirected eastward more than 30 feet. Blackwell was booked in absentia at the Clark County Detention Center and faces a charge of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, with an initial court appearance scheduled for Jan. 19.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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