Woman arrested in fatal Las Vegas hit-and-run thought she ‘struck a boulder’
A 22-year-old woman, arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run, told police she thought she had “struck a boulder.”
A judge on Thursday set her bail at $100,000.
Dora Henderson was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on three charges related to leaving the scene of a crash, failure to render aid following a crash, and failure to give information to a police officer following a crash.
According to a news release from the Metropolitan Police Department, a vehicle, later determined to be a 2014 Ford Edge sport utility vehicle driven by Henderson, collided with a pedestrian on West Tropicana Avenue just east of South Conquistador Street in west Las Vegas at about 10:20 p.m. April 20. Conquistador is just east of South Hualapai Way.
During Henderson’s first appearance Thursday morning, prosecutors said the pedestrian may have been kneeling or lying in the road, and that Henderson did not stop or call police for assistance after the crash. Metro has previously noted that Henderson fled east and did not return to the scene.
The pedestrian, identified as 41-year-old Natale Burton, was later pronounced dead at University Medical Center.
Fargol Ghadiri, appointed to represent Henderson during the hearing, told Pro Tem Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Lisa Luzaich that Henderson had lived in the valley her entire life and would be supported by her family if she were to be released.
Ghadiri added that Henderson, a full-time nursing student, would not be able to afford monetary bail, and advocated for “less restrictive means” of ensuring her return to court.
“This is tough,” Luzaich said, pausing briefly. “Do I think that you intentionally ran somebody over? No. But when you do this, you have to stop, try to render aid, call the police, or do something. You just kept driving, and somebody died as a result of your actions.”
Luzaich also told the court that police found human bones stuck to the undercarriage of Henderson’s car, and that there was “blood all over.” She said it was “not humanly possible” that Henderson did not realize something bad had happened.
The judge also ordered Henderson to stay out of trouble and refrain from driving. Henderson was scheduled to appear again for a status check on Tuesday.
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X. Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com