Sept. 2024 date set for trial of 2 teens as adults in fatal Vegas bicyclist crash seen on video
Oct 24, 2023, 4:26 PM
FILE - Las Vegas police Lt. Jason Johansson speaks during a news conference about a series of hit-and run-crashes, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in Las Vegas. Two teenagers were indicted, Friday, Oct. 6, on more than a dozen charges, including murder and burglary, after police say they targeted and killed a bicyclist while driving a stolen vehicle. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Ty O'Neil, File)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A September 2024 date has been set for the trial of two teenagers being prosecuted as adults on murder and other charges in the fatal video-recorded crash of an allegedly stolen car into a bicyclist in Las Vegas.
The teens, ages 18 and 16, have each pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges alleging they acted together in a series of car thefts and hit-and-run vehicle incidents early Aug. 14 — including the apparently intentional striking of bicyclist Andreas “Andy” Probst.
Attorney David Westbrook, representing the 18-year-old, said outside court he intends to seek the release of his client from jail pending trial. Attorney Daniel Hill, representing the 16-year-old, did not respond to messages seeking comment.
The Associated Press is not naming the teens due to their ages at the time of the alleged crimes.
The older defendant was 17 when he was arrested after the crash that killed Probst, a retired police chief from the Los Angeles-area city of Bell. The younger teen was arrested Sept. 19. Both remain in custody without bail pending trial.
The video, shot from the front passenger seat of an allegedly stolen vehicle, shows Probst pedaling forward and records male voices and laughter as the vehicle steers toward Probst and rams the bicycle from behind. Probst is last seen on the ground next to the curb.
According to police, the teenagers first struck a 72-year-old bicyclist and drove away. That man reported knee pain but was not hospitalized.
The teens are charged as adults under Nevada law that lets suspects age 13 and older be tried as adults in state court on murder or attempted murder charges. They cannot face the death penalty due to their ages. The most severe sentence they could receive if they’re convicted on the murder charge is 20 years to life in state prison.
