Autopsy of Driver in Car Wreck That Killed 9 Reveals Positive Results for Cocaine, PCP
A Clark County autopsy report Monday shows that Gary Robinson - the 59-year-old motorist in a North Las Vegas multi-vehicle wreck that killed him and eight other people - had cocaine and PCP in his system, as well as some alcohol.
Robinson's blood contained extremely elevated levels of cocaine and PCP, according to Las Vegas attorney Thomas Moskal, a former prosecutor who specialized in defending impaired driving cases.
Moskal said there is now no doubt that Robinson was impaired when he caused the "deadliest crash in Nevada history."
Moskal, who previously worked as a Clark County prosecutor on DUI cases, added that this type of "shock-the-conscience type of driving behavior" is frequent when someone is on a hallucinogenic, per US News.
January 29 Crash Killed Eight Locals, Including a 5-year-old Kid
According to Review Journal, the two autopsies of the Clark County coroner, Gary Dean Robinson died of multiple injuries in the January 29 crash. His death was ruled an accident.
Speeding was a factor in the midafternoon crash and a vehicle computer indicated Robinson's maroon Dodge Challenger raced up from 90 mph (145 kph) to 103 mph (166 kph) five seconds before approaching the intersection against a red traffic signal, police said earlier this month.
Killed in a Toyota Sienna were the driver, Jose Zacarias-Caldera, 35; and passengers David Mejia-Barrera, 25; Gabriel Mejia-Barrera, 23; Bryan Axel Zacarias, 15; Lluvia Daylenn Zacarias, 13; Adrian Zacarias, 10; and Fernando Yeshua Mejia, 5. They lived in North Las Vegas.
Robinson and the passenger who died in his car, Tanaga Ravel Miller, 46, also lived in North Las Vegas.
A Ford Fusion was also involved in a chain-reaction crash, in which a 31-year-old woman was gravely injured, according to police.
'One of the Most Heavily-impaired Cases' - Clark County Spokesman
Spokesman of Clark County Dan Kulin said an external examination of Robinson's body and blood tests were done first while the National Transportation Safety Board subsequently requested a full autopsy, which included an internal examination, and additional toxicology testing on Robinson's urine.
Robinson had 2,700 nanograms per milliliter of the cocaine byproduct Benzoylecgonine in his blood, according to tests. He had 390 nanograms per milliliter of cocaine and 27 nanograms per milliliter of PCP or Phencyclidine in his system. PCP is also known as "Sherm" or "Angel Dust."
Tests on Robinson's urine also showed the presence of alcohol and the prescription drug Gabapentin.
The measurements of cocaine and PCP are far above what is legally permissible under the law in Nevada, said Moskal.
The Clark County spokesman described the case as "one of the most heavily-impaired cases" he had ever gotten for a DUI death case, adding that he has never seen a "smorgasbord" of substances in a person's system like Robinson's.
Video previously released by North Las Vegas police as part of their investigation shows Robinson speeding as he drove his Challenger straight into the side of the van without braking.
Moskal said the presence of PCP and cocaine, combined with alcohol, explains a lot about Robinson's driving. The levels of cocaine in Robinson's system are especially noticeable because cocaine is known to rapidly disappear from a person's body shortly after ingestion.
National Transportation Safety Studies Speed-limiting Technology
The wreck is also being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, which has been looking into speed-limiting technology in vehicles, including high-performance sports cars, a board member said after the crash.
Last week, the NTSB released a preliminary report containing some of the information acquired in its probe. Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the board, said Monday that no conclusions have been reached.
Robinson had a prior history of traffic and criminal crimes, including speeding, according to records, and a state prison record after pleading guilty to felony cocaine possession and breaking his probation terms in 2004.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Jess Smith
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