A witness on scene filmed the aftermath and told Channel 8 News they saw the driver throwing cans of alcohol out of his pickup truck instead of helping Kyle. This directly contradicts the police report’s claim of “no independent witness.”
Channel 8 News reported on Kyle’s death, aired glimpses of the witness video, and featured interviews with friends and attorney Ofelia Markarian.
Rachel Green: “Totally avoidable.”
Tannie Wichern: “We were robbed, and a lot of people were robbed of him.”
Attorney Ofelia Markarian: “These are things we can prevent as a community, as a society. When you get behind the wheel, we have a responsibility to drive safely.”
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Friends are upset while mourning the loss of a loved one in a crash involving another man who faces a DUI charge.
Witnesses told 8 News Now the driver had cans of alcohol in his vehicle.
Kyle Burrell, 35, was riding his motorcycle to his girlfriend’s place on July 4 at around midnight when he collided with a suspected drunk driver in a pickup truck near the N. Durango Drive exit off the 215 Beltway.
“Totally avoidable,” Rachel Green, Burrell’s friend, said. “There’s too many things at play that you can make other choices,” Tannie Wichern, Burrell’s girlfriend, said.
Wichern said Burrell was known to his friends as a kind and generous soul. Only 35 years old, he still had so much life to give. “I feel like he was stolen from us, way too early,” Wichern said. “We were robbed, and a lot of people were robbed of him.”
A witness who shot video from that night shared it with 8 News Now. It shows emergency responders treating the victim and police talking to the suspected drunk driver, who was in a Chevrolet Silverado pickup. According to the witness, they were the first ones on scene and called 911. They said the driver was throwing cans of alcohol out of his pick-up truck, instead of helping the biker.
“There’s Uber, there’s Lyft. There’s everything else. Why would you drive drunk knowing that you’re jeopardizing literally everybody else on the street and yourself? Makes no sense,” Green said. Wichern added, “Most of the time, not even themselves because they end up being okay.”
According to highway patrol, the other driver was speeding when he entered the left turn lane at the North Durango-CC215 exit at the same time as Burrell. Burrell was sent flying to the pavement when the truck and the motorcycle collided.
“These are things we can prevent as a community, as a society. When you get behind the wheel, we have a responsibility to drive safely,” Ofelia Markarian, Burrell’s attorney, said.
Nevada State Police Highway Patrol did not identify the person they arrested on a DUI charge in a media release. 8 News Now asked the agency why, since it has in previous releases. A spokesman said the policy has recently changed and the case is under investigation.
On Nov 3rd The man who hit and killed Kyle will be in court for his mis DUI, Were going to be sure the judge hears us. We are showing up, hope to see you there
Please stand with us in demanding justice for Kyle “Seviin” Burrell.
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