Parents of kids killed by reckless drivers say they support red-light cameras in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — Rex Patchett, an eighth grader, was walking home from a friend’s house in March 2022 when he was hit and killed by an out-of-control driver.

In the wake of his 13-year-old son’s death, Jason Patchett sought a way to deter reckless drivers, successfully advocating for a bill, now known as Rex’s Law, that would ensure tougher penalties for reckless drivers who cause injury and death.

Today, Jason Patchett said he supports another potential policy change, one that Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill is hoping will find success in the upcoming legislative session: the implementation of speed cameras and red-light cameras throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

“I don’t see any harm in trying to build a toolbox with many different tools that allow us to try to mitigate the horror that’s on the streets right now,” Jason Patchett said.

Jason Patchett, as a parent who lost his child to a speeding driver, does not stand alone in his support for the potential change in Nevada state law, which experts said is controversial.

Parents who have lost their children in fatal collisions said they felt that if even one life were saved by a traffic camera, it would be a worthwhile venture that ought to trump expectations of privacy on the road.

Drivers speeding, running red lights

The driver who hit and killed Rex Patchett, who loved sports, Bryce Harper and spending time with his family, was driving 90 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone, according to Rex Patchett’s dad.

Savannah Aguilar, a 22-year-old who consistently made the dean’s list and loved art, was killed when a driver ran a red light, T-boning Savannah Aguilar’s car in July 2017, according to her mother, Norma Aguilar.

And 12-year-old Jonny Smith, an aspiring engineer who enjoyed golf and karate, was killed when a driver going 67 mph in a 35 mph zone couldn’t stop in time outside a school in March 2019, his mom, Suzan Smith, said.

“You can’t put that much pain into words. The words don’t exist,” Suzan Smith said. “I miss my son every single day. His family, we will never be the same. We will never be whole.”

All three parents who experienced a traffic fatality firsthand said they would support a change in law that would mean Nevada drivers could expect a ticket if caught speeding or running a red light on camera. McMahill has repeatedly said he’d like to see traffic enforcement cameras put in place.

“For me, it’s all about responsibility,” Norma Aguilar, who said she never expected her young daughter to die before her, said. “That’s a big word.”

A tool in the toolbox

For groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, the imposition of enforcement cameras on Nevada’s streets brings with it some serious concerns.

Athar Haseebullah, the union’s executive director, previously told the Review-Journal that while something needs to be done to reduce traffic fatalities, cameras — which he said incentivize going after people for revenue and have a disparate impact on minority communities — are not the answer.

But parents said that action of any kind is a step in the right direction.

“Right now, nobody in the community is doing anything to stop the violence,” Jason Patchett said. He added that while police officers do what they can, it’s not enough. “Why not leverage technology and help with that effort?”

Jason Patchett, who said the day of his son’s death is “burned” into his family members’ souls, applauded McMahill for engaging the state legislature in a dialogue.

While Jason Patchett said that he feels cameras are not a one-size-fits-all solution, they can contribute to safer streets. “It’s an effective tool. It’s not the only tool,” he said.

McMahill previously told the Review-Journal that while red-light cameras can lead to an increase in rear-end crashes, they can reduce more serious, potentially fatal crashes.

But Jason Patchett added that he feels efforts to increase safety on the street are largely only driven in words. “Right now, the action part is missing,” he said.

What deters reckless driving?

Suzan Smith said that she doesn’t think that when the driver who killed her son left his house that day, he intended to kill a little boy. “I don’t think anybody leaves with the intent to kill,” she said. But she added that fatal collisions are common enough that people know it can happen.

“It’s sad that we have to have deterrents, because people don’t always use the best judgment,” Suzan Smith said. She said that while she feels people should regulate themselves, the presence of cameras could impact how people drive.

Jason Patchett said that if a camera were installed, at some point, drivers in the neighborhood might be deterred from driving too fast if they knew they would likely get a ticket, as people don’t have the funds to continuously pay out a fine.

“There’s got to be some kind of deterrent, and maybe the pocketbook is a deterrent,” Jason Patchett said.

Footage from enforcement cameras would also play an important role in court, Norma Aguilar said. She said it was fortunate that when her daughter’s car was hit, several witnesses on the scene saw the driver get out of his vehicle and walk away.

The driver was charged with leaving the scene of the accident, as well as reckless driving, she added. Footage from cameras that could capture details like this would help with evidence in trial, Norma Aguilar said. “It’s not like you’re going to get away with it. There will be cameras.”

For all three parents, the effectiveness of traffic cameras is not a numbers game. “Even one life is worth it to me,” Jason Patchett said.

“We shouldn’t be afraid to value human life over a traffic camera,” he said.