Bus stop crash survivor testifies

All eyes were on Porsche Hughes when she entered the courtroom.

Hughes, a 27-year-old mother of two, once stood 5 feet 11 inches tall and walked with the grace of a runway model.

On Wednesday, she used a wheelchair to approach the witness stand.

Hughes then testified against the man who, in effect, took her legs from her.

The defendant on trial, 44-year-old Steven Murray, is accused of plowing his pickup into a bus shelter on July 7 while under the influence of prescription drugs. He has four earlier convictions for driving while intoxicated.

The crash maimed Hughes and killed 55-year-old Patricia Hoff. At the time of the collision, both victims were sitting at a bus stop on Boulder Highway, near Flamingo Road.

Hughes testified that she always rode the bus about an hour to get to her job as a certified nurse's assistant. That morning was no different.

As she was waiting, she saw a red Dodge Ram 1500 coming toward her. The truck jumped onto the curb and then accelerated, she said.

In the split second before the crash, she said Murray "looked me dead in the eye." The truck struck her twice and sent Hughes reeling into the street.

Immediately after the crash, she looked back at the bus stop and saw torn clothing and pieces of flesh and blood. She then looked down and saw what remained of her mutilated leg.

"I screamed, I cried, I cursed," she said.

While she testified, her father, Harrington Hughes, who came to Las Vegas from California for the trial, left the courtroom briefly. He said hearing the gruesome details of the crash was too much.

Hughes' left leg was amputated immediately after the crash. Doctors amputated her right leg about a month later.

So far, she's had five surgeries. The most recent was performed about a month ago. Doctors removed about 4 inches of soft flesh from one of her legs so she could be properly fitted with a prosthetic.

There are a multitude of subtle adjustments Hughes faces each day because of the loss of her legs.

Her residence now has a wheelchair ramp leading up to the entrance. She can't shower as often as she'd like because she's healing from surgeries. Her dishes and microwave need to be on lower shelves so she can reach them from her wheelchair.

Hughes also can't play with her 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter as she once did. There's no more dancing with them at birthday parties. There's no more wrestling or football.

"They're hurting, but they're strong too," said Hughes, who is currently not working.

Murray faces charges of driving under the influence causing a death and driving under the influence causing substantial bodily harm. He has pleaded not guilty.

County prosecutor L.J. O'Neale informed the jury that Murray told police after the collision that he took Valium and Percocet, a pain reliever, the night before the crash. Murray had valid prescriptions for the drugs.

O'Neale said Murray, who works as an electrician, was seen driving erratically before hitting the bus stop. He also said that after the crash, Murray failed several field sobriety tests.

One of Murray's attorneys, Deputy Public Defender Darin Imlay, told the jury that the crash, while a tragedy, wasn't intentional and that Murray wasn't under the influence at the time of the collision.

Because Murray has four prior DUI convictions, he could face life in prison if convicted.

Under Nevada's vehicular manslaughter law, a person convicted of killing someone while under the influence will be sentenced to 25 years to life if they've had three prior DUI convictions, said Sandy Heverly, executive director of the nonprofit group STOP DUI.

Murray is believed to be the first person in Nevada to face that mandatory sentence, which was approved by the Legislature in 2005, Heverly said.

The law targets the worst DUI offenders, she said.

"He certainly fits that description," Heverly said.

As horrific as the crash was, Hughes said it created a bond between her and Robin Wynkoop, Hoff's daughter. They often talk on the telephone, and Hughes keeps a photo of Wynkoop's children on her refrigerator.

During the trial Wednesday, Hughes and Wynkoop were often seen talking in the hallway outside the courtroom. They bantered back and forth like old friends, but were linked by tragic events.

"She's my first white sister," Hughes said.

"We're kind of stuck with each other now," Wynkoop said.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.