Report: Driver who struck 2 children was distracted by GPS device
A motorist whose pickup struck two children in a North Las Vegas crosswalk, killing one, was distracted by a GPS device, according to a police report obtained Tuesday.
Mark Kline, 47, of North Las Vegas is facing misdemeanor traffic charges of failure to use due care around a pedestrian, failure to pay full time and attention while driving, and failure to maintain a lane in connection with the Feb. 14 crash.
Authorities alleged at the time that he was distracted when his pickup struck and killed 12-year-old Alexander Bush and critically injured the boy’s 9-year-old sister, Charlotte, as the two Somerset Academy students used a crosswalk on Lone Mountain Road.
According to the newly released arrest report, a North Las Vegas police officer spoke to Kline moments after the crash.
“Kline had told (the officer) that he had turned onto Lone Mtn and his GPS had rerouted him, and he looked down at the center column where he had the gps/phone sitting when he felt the impact from striking the pedestrians,” the report states.
Kline, police said, immediately stopped his vehicle and ran to assist the victims.
The man’s attorney, Dayvid Figler, said Tuesday that his client is a neighbor of the Bush family’s and is devastated by the tragedy. Figler also said the crosswalk where the crash happened was not well painted at the time of the crash.
“This is a very busy area,” Figler said. “There are cars that line the road. There is a faded crosswalk, and it appears from what the common perception is, that this is a very unsafe intersection.”
Figler said Kline works in the construction field and volunteers as a youth football coach.
“My client stopped immediately,” Figler said, adding that Kline has cooperated with every request from police in their investigation.
Police said in the arrest report that they drew blood from Kline after the crash. They also said at the time that they were working to assess the speed of Kline’s vehicle at the time of the crash. Figler said it is his understanding that Kline was not speeding.
“Being they are children and his neighbors, he and his family are devastated, and their hearts go out to their neighbors,” Figler said.
North Las Vegas police said in the days after the crash that they tacked on a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter against Kline. Police spokesman Eric Leavitt said Tuesday that the recommended charge was forwarded to the city attorney, but an outcome on that recommendation is pending. There was no record of Kline facing any such charge as of Tuesday.
The arrest report in Kline’s case states that an on-scene investigation “clearly showed that at the time of impact the gray Dodge that Kline was operating had the left side wheels traveling in the number one travel lane and the right side wheels were in the number two travel lane, indicating that Kline was failing to maintain his travel lane.”
In the days after the crash, a parent and youths who used the crosswalk on Lone Mountain said it was known to be an unsafe crossing. It is regularly used by Somerset Academy students to cross Lone Mountain, east of Losee Road. Students MiKinzie Dowdy and Jayson Cooper said flashing lights are barely visible in the sunlight’s glare. The crash on Feb. 14, meanwhile, happened at about 3 p.m.
The crash has generated a massive outpouring of community support for the Bush family. One gofundme.com fundraiser has brought in more than $43,000 in donations to help with medical expenses. Another has raised more than $32,000.
The Golden Knights added stickers to their helmets in honor of Alexander during a contest in late February.
The sticker on the Golden Knights’ helmets had the boy’s initials and the number 29 on a goalie helmet. The team said in a tweet that he was a goalie in the team’s youth hockey program.
According to the tweet, “Charlotte remains in critical condition from the accident but she is ‘still fighting and still feisty.’”
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.
