Las Vegas, NV (July 5, 2026) – A 66-year-old pedestrian suffered critical injuries on Friday night, July 3, after being struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Torrey Pines Drive in west Las Vegas. Emergency units responded just before 8 p.m.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, a 17-year-old driver was traveling south on Torrey Pines Drive in a left-turn lane when the collision occurred. At the same time, the pedestrian was crossing Sahara Avenue from north to south on the east side of the intersection. The police said the front of the Mazda struck the pedestrian as the driver made a left turn.
The pedestrian was transported to UMC Trauma with critical injuries. The driver and a passenger in the vehicle were not injured, and police reported no signs of impairment. The driver remained at the scene following the crash.
Our thoughts are with the injured pedestrian and their loved ones during this time.
How Left-Turn Pedestrian Crashes Commonly Occur
Pedestrian crashes involving left turns usually happen at intersections where drivers and pedestrians are moving through the same space at the same time. Drivers focusing on oncoming traffic may not always see pedestrians crossing in marked or unmarked crosswalks.
Visibility, timing, and driver attention all play a role in these incidents. Pedestrians are especially vulnerable because they have no physical protection during impact. Safety officials recommend that both drivers and pedestrians remain alert at intersections and avoid assuming others will yield automatically.
