Court hearing postponed for Zaon Collins in fatal crash
A preliminary hearing for a 19-year-old basketball standout at Bishop Gorman High School, charged with driving while high on marijuana and killing another man, was postponed Wednesday.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum waived Zaon Collins’ appearance, and ordered him back in court next month.
Collins faces one count each of DUI resulting in death and reckless driving in connection with the Dec. 30 crash that killed 52-year-old Eric Echevarria. The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Collins, who played point guard at Bishop Gorman High School, remained free on electronic monitoring.
Authorities have said Collins was driving upward of 88 mph in a 35 mph zone before his 2016 Dodge Challenger slammed into Echevarria’s 2016 Hyundai Accent near Fort Apache and Blue Diamond roads.
During Wednesday’s brief hearing, the judge also allowed prosecutors to submit Collins’ blood test results through an affidavit, rather than live testimony.
Collins had signed a letter of intent to play basketball at UNLV, but that agreement was rescinded after he was charged in the crash. Echevarria was an Army and National Guard veteran who worked as a custodian at a local elementary school.
Police said they found a green leafy substance in Collins’ Challenger and that he showed signs “which were consistent with being under the influence of marijuana.”
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.
