NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (KLAS) — The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report Thursday into the crash last year that killed 9 people, including several members of one family.
Gary Dean Robinson, 59, of North Las Vegas, was behind the wheel of a Dodge Challenger when he ran a red light at more than 100 mph at Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, crashing into several cars.
Four children and four adults were killed. Seven members of a family were in one vehicle.
Urine and blood tests found cocaine, PCP and alcohol in Robinson’s system, autopsy and toxicology reports said.
The report released Thursday said Robinson was traveling at 103 mph. The speed limit on Commerce Street in that area is 35 mph. The speed limit on Cheyenne Avenue in that area is 50 mph.
As the 8 News Now Investigators reported, Robinson had pleaded guilty on Jan. 20, 2022, for speeding up to 10 miles over the speed limit on Dec. 9, 2021. He paid a $150 fine, according to court documents.
Robinson and his passenger, Tanaga Ravel Miller, 46, of North Las Vegas, were both killed in the crash.
Seven of the victims were traveling together in a Toyota Siena, a minivan, at the time of the crash: Fernando Yeshua Mejia, 5; Adrian Zacarias, 10; Lluvia Daylenn Zacarias, 13; Bryan Axel Zacarias, 15; Gabriel Mejia-Barrera, 23; David Mejia-Barrera, 25; and Jose Zacarias-Caldera, 35.
The report details Robinson’s driving record, which included two DUIs in Indiana in 1984, the NTSB reported.
Though he was stopped several times for speeding, his driving record included just one documented speeding ticket, the NTSB reported. The speeding tickets were lowered to other violations, records showed.
Investigators found court receipts from both North Las Vegas and Las Vegas in Robinson’s car, the report said. Robinson’s latest ticket, dated Dec. 9, 2021, was not yet in his official driving record, the NTSB said.
“The other was a receipt from the Las Vegas Municipal Court dated December 28, 2021, which showed a guilty plea for speeding 16-20 miles per hour over the limit,” the report said. “This ticket was also not reflected on his Official Nevada Driving Record nor had the 2 demerit points been assigned for this offense.”
The NTSB said the crash remains under investigation as it works to determine the crash’s cause and issue recommendations.