Las Vegas Now | NHP Trooper Arrested After Fatal Accident

NHP Trooper Arrested After Fatal Accident

July 16, 2008

According to this criminal complaint, Sgt. Edward Lattin was incapable of driving. He was speeding and driving erratically.

According to the criminal complaint, Lattin was speeding down Rainbow and Tropicana in his truck when he rammed another car from behind.

A man trusted to uphold the law is now accused of breaking it. Nevada Highway Patrol Sergeant Edward Lattin is accused of being under the influence of marijuana when he caused a deadly crash last month.

At first it was thought he had suffered a diabetic shock, but now he faces serious charges.

After that tragic accident, the trooper told police he wanted to be tested. There was no alcohol in his blood, but when it came to drugs, tests show he was under the influence.

The accident on Rainbow near Hacienda was a bad one. The off-duty Sergeant slammed his truck into a Toyota. Before it was all over, three cars were wrecked, two people injured and one woman was dead.

"Obviously it's very disappointing, but the leadership at DPS takes a zero tolerance stance toward the use of illegal substances, on or off duty," said Dan Burns with the Nevada Department of Public Safety.

According to the criminal complaint, Lattin was under the influence of the controlled substance at the time of the wreck. It says the marijuana "rendered him incapable of safely driving and/or exercising actual physical control of a vehicle."

The last time Eyewitness News interviewed Sgt. Lattin, he was focused on roadway safety during the Christmas holidays, "And no drinking while driving, certainly."

Now he's accused of driving while on drugs and facing years behind bars.

Lattin is charged with DUI felony death. He is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation

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Las Vegas Now | NHP Trooper Arrested After Fatal Accident