Las Vegas Three-Vehicle Collision Leaves Four Injured, Traffic Delays on Strip

Posted on: June 22, 2021, 08:08h. 

Last updated on: June 22, 2021, 11:43h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A Sunday afternoon accident involving multiple vehicles led to traffic delays on and near the Las Vegas Strip. One person had serious injuries and three others suffered apparently minor injuries, Metro police said.

One person suffered life-threatening injuries
Christopher Faifaimalie, shown here in a mug shot. He was arrested after a traffic accident near the Las Vegas Strip. Police said he was speeding and had taken drugs. Four people were injured. (Image: LVMPD)

The collision took place on Harmon Avenue near Koval Lane. The Club Wyndham Grand Desert and the Signature at MGM Grand are located nearby.

The accident happened at about 2:40 pm when Christopher Faifaimalie, 24, of Salt Lake City, Utah was driving a U-Haul truck at 70 mph, police said. That is double the 35-mph limit. Suspected speeding and alleged drug use were blamed as the causes of the collision, police said.

He was heading east on Harmon Avenue. The truck swerved to avoid slower vehicles, police added. The truck then went across Harmon Avenue into the westbound lanes. Next, the truck collided with the front of a Hyundai Elantra.

The rear of a Nissan Rogue was also hit. Three occupants in the Hyundai were injured. They were taken to University Medical Center for treatment.

Life-Threatening Injuries Reported

The Elantra’s driver, identified as Sruram Vathiyanathan, 36, suffered life-threatening injuries, KLAS, a local TV station, reported. He had “a torn diaphragm that required emergency surgery,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, quoting police.

Faifaimalie was taken to University Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. Later, Faifaimalie confessed he took drugs before the accident, police said.

He eventually was booked into the Clark County Detention Center. By Tuesday, he was released from jail. He faces a driving under the influence resulting in substantial bodily harm charge, police said.

Accidents on The Strip

The Strip is no stranger to traffic accidents. In March, in an unrelated collision on The Strip, a Dodge Neon struck two vehicles in the area between the Sahara Las Vegas and the STRAT.

In November, a 43-year-old woman died from her injuries after the SUV she was in crashed into a wall at the Paris Hotel & Casino parking garage located on The Strip. The victim, Veronica Acosta, was a passenger in the Chevrolet Trailblazer, KLAS said. Acosta resides in Riverside, Calif.