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Tara Cheatham

Age : 30

Gender : Female

Race : White

Date : 02/24/2021

Location : West Warm Springs Road at Schirlls Street, east of Arville Street

City : Las Vegas

County : Clark

State : Nevada

Agency : Nevada Highway Patrol

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Driver killed in police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE: A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop Tara Cheatham while she was driving a Lexus ES 350. Cheatham fled from the attempted traffic stop at high speed. The publicly available reporting does not disclose the original reason the trooper attempted to stop her.
NARRATIVE:
On 02/24/2021, 30-year-old Tara Cheatham of Las Vegas sustained fatal injuries in a multi-vehicle crash on West Warm Springs Road after fleeing an attempted traffic stop by a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper. She remained hospitalized following the crash and died from her injuries on 03/22/2021.

Shortly after 7:00 a.m., Cheatham was driving a Lexus ES 350 east on West Warm Springs Road. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's collision investigation, Cheatham was traveling at high speed after fleeing from an attempted traffic stop by a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper.

As Cheatham approached Schirlls Street east of Arville Street, a Nissan Armada was traveling east ahead of her. A Nissan Sentra was traveling west, with a Hyundai Santa Fe traveling west behind it.

Cheatham attempted to pass the Armada by entering the westbound travel lane. The Lexus struck the left side of the Armada and then collided with the westbound Sentra. The Armada lost control and left the roadway while Cheatham's Lexus continued east.

The Lexus then collided with the Hyundai Santa Fe. The impact redirected the Hyundai rearward while the Lexus rotated. Cheatham was ejected from the Lexus and came to rest north of the roadway.

Emergency personnel transported Cheatham and the driver of the Hyundai to University Medical Center's Trauma Center in critical condition. Cheatham survived the initial crash but remained critically injured.

On 03/22/2021, Las Vegas police announced that Cheatham had died from injuries sustained in the February 24 collision. The fatal crash was investigated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Collision Investigation Section.

The 02/24/2021 Clark County fatality documented by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System corresponds with the crash involving Cheatham. FARS records qualifying traffic deaths according to the date of the crash, which accounts for the February 24 entry despite Cheatham's death occurring on March 22.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.ktnv.com/news/injury-crash-closes-portion-of-warm-springs-road-in-southwest-las-vegas
https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars