Las Vegas man grieves loss after daughter, family hit at bus stop
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A Las Vegas man is grieving after he told 8 News Now his daughter and her family were hit by a car while waiting for the bus Wednesday night.
“When you get a call like that,” Frank Walkin told 8 News Now. “You know the worst.”
Walkin said he is still trying to come to terms with what happened to his family.
“They said they had been in an accident,” he recalled.
2 killed, 4 injured after crash at east Las Vegas valley bus stop
He said his entire world changed when his daughter, Amber Higgins, and her family, were hit by a car at a bus stop on Boulder Highway near Sahara Avenue.
Amber’s husband, 42-year-old Robert Higgins, and her 14-year-old son Erik were killed.
Walkin said Amber was in a coma at University Medical Center Friday and her two younger children, 11-year-old Isabella and 8-year-old Roman, who were pulled out from under the car, were seriously hurt.
“His pelvis is broken in seven places,” he said of Roman. “Three broken ribs, a lacerated spleen.”
Police said 64-year-old Cynthia Phelps was under the influence when she drove the wrong way into the family at the bus stop at 65 miles per hour.
Las Vegas judge sets bail for woman accused of deadly bus stop crash
“Every single fatal is preventable,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Traffic Bureau Lieutenant Brett Ficklin said. “They don’t have to happen.”
Lt. Ficklin spoke at the scene of the crash Wednesday about the dangers of drunk driving, a decision Walkin said changed everything.
“With every method of transportation out there these days from Uber to Lyft, to taxis,” Walkin said. “There is absolutely no reason to get behind the wheel impaired.”
He told 8 News Now while this has been harder than he ever could have imagined, he’s grateful to know so many are standing behind those he loves.
“I do want to thank everybody for the support they have shown,” Walkin concluded.
Phelps faces two counts of DUI resulting in death, three counts of DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm, and one count of failure to drive on the right half of the roadway.
She is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on a $500,000 bail.
Her next court appearance is April 23.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to assist the family with funeral and medical expenses.
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