‘Drunk killed dad’ graffiti appears after bicyclist hit in Las Vegas
At the site of a recent crash that killed a bicyclist in the eastern Las Vegas Valley, a message scrawled across a crumbling brick wall levels an accusation against the driver in bold, black letters: “Drunk killed dad.”
The wall, which was damaged in the deadly accident, remained cordoned off by yellow police tape Monday, more than a week after the crash. It wasn’t clear who spray-painted the message.
Jason David Eckert, 44, died April 29 at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center of multiple blunt force injuries. He was hospitalized in critical condition a day earlier after being struck by a suspected impaired driver while riding his bike with his wife and 8-year-old son on Mountain Vista Street near Indios Avenue, police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department identified the driver as 40-year-old Danesmin Soliscortes, of Seattle. He “showed signs of impairment,” police said in a news release, and was booked April 28 into the Clark County Detention Center, where he faces a charge of DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm.
Metro’s fatal detail said Soliscortes was speeding west on Indios Avenue and ran a stop sign. Police said Eckert and his family were crossing the street on their bicycles when Soliscortes’ Dodge Intrepid struck Eckert before crashing into the wall on the west side of the road. Eckert’s wife, Genevieve Steffan, and his son, Avaram, were not injured, police said.
Soliscortes had only minor injuries.
Eckert was an organ donor, according to his obituary in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“On the day of his death, he was able to give life to two people with the donation of both kidneys,” the obituary said.
He attended Chaparral High School. Before he died, Eckert worked as a production assistant and stage hand for private stage and party coordinators across the valley, it said.
Eckert’s death was the 40th traffic fatality investigated by Metro’s fatal detail this year. Eckert was preceded in death by his birth father, Joe; adoptive father, David; and two brothers, Michael and Greg. He leaves behind his wife and son; mother, Debbie; three brothers, Scott, Travis and Nick; sister, Roxanne; and his grandparents.
Soliscortes, who is being held at the county jail without bail, is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning for his felony arraignment, jail records show.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.