Vigil honors dozens killed in crashes along Las Vegas highways
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Family and friends joined law enforcement and community advocates Friday for a vigil to honor those killed on Southern Nevada highways.
In 2024, 412 people lost their lives in crashes on Nevada roadways, including 293 in Clark County.
Nevada Highway Patrol held the annual event at its headquarters near Bermuda and Sunset Roads to remember 88 people who died in their jurisdiction.
'You never get over that pain,' Diane Malone said. 'It's with you all the time.'
Malone attended Friday's event to remember her daughter and son-in-law who were hit and killed by a drunk driver in 2018.
'They were just sitting at a stoplight waiting for the light to change,' Malone said. 'And he rammed them at over 100 miles an hour. They didn't have a chance.'
Malone was one of many people who showed up to offer support as law enforcement and other community members spoke on the importance of what they called a commitment to reclaim the roadways.
'It's important that they know,' Nevada Highway Patrol Major Kevin Honea said. 'That we feel that loss too.'
Major Honea and several others spoke on their efforts to focus on the faces behind the tragedies they deal with daily.
During the ceremony, the name of each person killed was read while troopers lit candles to remember them.
'It's important for everybody to know that we understand that that's a father, that's a sister,' Major Honea said. 'Everybody had an empty table at Christmas last year.'
More people died in crashes across Clark County in 2024 compared to 2023, according to Nevada State Police.
Statistics released in January cited a 6% rise in overall fatalities, with impairment and speeding listed as top factors.
Major Honea also spoke with 8 News Now Friday about work to make changes and increase safety.
'We do what we can, obviously with the legislative session that we are currently in,' Major Honea said. 'There are a lot of traffic safety initiatives, there are a lot of little tweaks to the law.'
Malone expressed her ongoing grief and sadness, which she described as never-ending.
She hopes her story serves as a reminder to never drive impaired.
'Just never drive drunk. There is absolutely no excuse for it,' Malone concluded. 'There are too many other options out there as far as transportation.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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