Victim in suspected DUI crash in western Las Vegas ID’d
The 36-year-old woman who died last week in a suspected DUI crash that led to the arrest of an ex-Las Vegas mayor’s grandson has been identified by the Clark County coroner’s office.
Melissa Newton was one of three backseat passengers who were ejected from the back seat of a 2015 Range Rover SVR Thursday when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed in a Summerlin neighborhood. She died at the scene from extensive blunt force injuries, the coroner’s office said, and her death was ruled an accident.
The other two passengers, a 50-year-old man and 46-year-old woman, suffered serious injuries.
The driver, 53-year-old Scott Gragson, grandson of former Mayor Oran Gragson, owns a home in the neighborhood near Town Center Drive and Flamingo Road, property records show. He and a 44-year-old front seat passenger suffered minor injuries.
Gragson was arrested on one count of DUI resulting in death, two counts of DUI resulting in significant bodily harm and three counts of reckless driving resulting in death or significant bodily harm, according to court records.
Jail records show that Gragson is no longer in custody at the Clark County Custody. Court records show Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Ann Zimmerman ordered Gragson to surrender his passport and not drink alcohol and conditions of his bail. He also signed a waiver of extradition.
A previous version of this story listed the wrong age for Melissa Newton.
Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0365. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter.
