LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The woman accused of causing a fatal crash that killed two children was on probation and fleeing from police in a stolen car, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained.
Nikki Serrat, 32, faces charges, including reckless driving resulting in death, for causing the crash that killed Taliyah Lewis, 6; and Dante Lewis, 11. The collision occurred on Friday, Nov. 8 just after 5 p.m. at the intersection of East Flamingo Road and the South Pecos-McLeod Interconnect.
Witnesses said the driver who caused the collision, later identified as Serrat, ran away from the crash scene. Surveillance video of the area showed a Lexus SUV entering the intersection “at high speed” while other vehicles were stopped for a passing emergency vehicle, documents said.
The Lexus was traveling at 73 mph in the seconds before the collision, which involved four cars in all, police said. The speed limit on that part of Flamingo Road is 45 mph. Taliyah Lewis and Dante Lewis were passengers in the vehicle that Serrat immediately collided with, police said.
The Lexus, which is owned by a rental car agency, was reported stolen earlier the day of the collision, police said. The vehicle was stolen from the Symphony Park garage in downtown Las Vegas, police said.
A passenger of Serrat’s told police that before the crash, a Metro police officer attempted to stop the car. The witness told police “she only remembered yelling, ‘Nikki, no!’ and then the collision happened,” documents said. Court documents said an LVMPD unit was responding to an unrelated collision at the time, but it was unclear if the unit was the same one the witness mentioned.
Video surveillance taken 15 minutes before the collision showed Serrat and her two passengers entering a convenience store, police said.
On the afternoon of Nov. 9, the day after the collision, police arrested Serrat at a family member’s home in North Las Vegas. The family member was not aware of the crash, police said.
In August, Clark County District Court Judge Christy Craig sentenced Serrat to probation on a charge of attempted unauthorized absence constituting escape from prison, records said. Prosecutors did not oppose Serrat receiving probation for being absent from the Casa Grande Traditional Housing facility while serving a sentence involving a stolen vehicle.
Serrat does not have a valid driver’s license.
A judge denied setting bail during Serrat’s first court appearance Wednesday. Serrat’s next court date was scheduled for Nov. 18.
