Las Vegas, NV (July 31, 2026) – A 28-year-old man died after the vehicle he was riding in struck a legally parked semi-truck on Highland Drive, the LV Metropolitan Police Department said.
The driver, 22-year-old Jakari Miles of North Las Vegas, was heading north on Highland Drive south of Edna Avenue at about 9:10 a.m. on the morning of July 31 when his Nissan Altima hit the rear of the parked semi, according to police.
Miles’ passenger, a 28-year-old man, died at the scene. Miles and a second passenger, a 23-year-old man, were taken to University Medical Center with minor injuries. The semi-truck’s driver, who police said was asleep in the cab at the time, was not hurt.
Miles was arrested on suspicion of impaired driving. Jail records showed he remained in custody Friday night. He faces charges of DUI resulting in death and reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, according to police.
Riding as a passenger means placing your safety in someone else’s hands. That trust ended in tragedy on Highland Drive, leaving one family grieving and two survivors working to recover from injuries they never should have suffered.
Drunk Driving Accidents in Las Vegas, Nevada
A drunk driving crash creates two separate legal tracks. The criminal case against Jakari Miles will move through Clark County’s courts on its own schedule, and it does not resolve the civil claim a victim’s family can bring for compensation.
- See a doctor right away for any injury from the crash, even one that feels minor at first
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance company without an attorney present
- Preserve evidence connected to the arrest, including the toxicology results, the police report, and any dash camera or body camera footage
- Do not accept a settlement offer before speaking with an attorney about what the claim is actually worth
Liability in a case like this can extend beyond the driver. A bar, restaurant, or licensed establishment that over-served an impaired driver before a crash can sometimes share responsibility under Nevada law. Nevada also follows a modified comparative negligence rule under NRS 41.141, allowing any injured party to recover compensation as long as they are found less than 51 percent at fault.
A wrongful death claim on behalf of the passenger who died can seek funeral costs, lost financial support, and compensation for the loss of that person’s companionship and guidance. Nevada law also allows punitive damages in DUI cases when a driver’s conduct shows conscious disregard for others’ safety.
Wrongful death claims in Nevada must be filed within two years of the date of death, or by July 31, 2028, under NRS 41.085. A surviving passenger’s injury claim carries the same two-year deadline under NRS 11.190.
Contact Our Las Vegas Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
Losing a passenger to a driver’s decision to get behind the wheel while impaired is a loss that never should have happened, and the two survivors face their own recovery from injuries they did not cause.
Our Las Vegas drunk driving accident attorneys have recovered a $1.9 million verdict against an insurance company in a Nevada car crash case and know how to build a claim against an impaired driver and their insurer.
Blood alcohol results, body camera footage, and 911 call recordings connected to this crash will not stay available forever, and preserving them now protects a family’s ability to prove what happened.
We handle these cases on contingency, so there is no cost to talk with us and nothing owed unless we recover money for your family.
Why families across Clark County trust us:
- $44M+ recovered for injured clients in 2025 alone
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- Former judge on our team, Hon. Christopher K. Lee (Ret.)
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Talk to a Las Vegas Drunk Driving Attorney Now at 702-508-7675
