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Left inset: Mark Clayton (KSNV). Right inset: Eric Estrada (GoFundMe). Background: Surveillance footage allegedly shows Mark Clayton driving drunk in a stolen RV just seconds before he slammed into 17-year-old Eric Estrada, who was in a marked crosswalk (KSNV/YouTube).
A Nevada teenager tragically lost his life after being struck by a drunk driver in a stolen RV while he was crossing a street, authorities and family members confirmed.
Just minutes before the incident, 17-year-old Eric Estrada sent a text message to his sister, Azalia Estrada, saying, “I’m on the way.” In an interview with local NBC affiliate KSNV, Azalia recounted, “He texted me at 5:41 saying he was coming to my house. By six, we received the devastating call that he’s no longer with us.”
Eric, a resident of Las Vegas, was using a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Lake Mead Boulevard and Lamont Street when he was hit by a stolen RV driven by 55-year-old Mark Clayton. The incident occurred around 5:48 p.m., and Clayton fled the scene, according to a press release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The crosswalk is situated near three local schools: Sandy Searles Miller Academy, Lynch Elementary School, and Monaco Middle School, raising concerns about pedestrian safety in the area.
Driving a 1996 Fleetwood Pace Arrow Motor Home, Clayton was heading east on Lake Mead Boulevard when he failed to yield to Eric, who was legally crossing the street. Surveillance footage captured the RV approaching the intersection just seconds before the tragic collision, as reported by KSNV.
“The front of the Fleetwood struck the pedestrian, projecting him eastward and onto the roadway,” the police press release alleges. “The driver of the Fleetwood fled the collision scene without rendering aid or calling 911.”
Azalia Estrada told KSNV, “My brother did not deserve this. My brother deserves justice.”
Clayton was “later located and showed signs of impairment,” according to police. He was booked on DUI and hit-and-run charges, with a bag of meth also being found inside the RV he was driving, according to KSNV.
Clayton is being held without bail.
“Left him in the street without even checking if he was okay,” a GoFundMe for Eric’s family says. “Eric was a wonderful kid and a loving brother,” the description adds. “No one deserves to die like this, and our family is devastated by this sudden loss.”