Woman Who Hit Las Vegas Crowd with Her Car, Killing One, Pleads Guilty
Background and Guilty Plea
Lakeisha Holloway, aged 34, has pleaded guilty after driving her vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians on the Las Vegas Strip in 2015. This tragic incident resulted in the death of one person and injuries to 37 others. Holloway is now waiting to be sentenced.
Charges and Legal Delays
Holloway admitted guilt to charges including second-degree murder and battery with a deadly weapon. Her actions caused the death of a visiting Arizona mother and left dozens injured. Notably, Holloway’s young daughter was in the car at the time.
The nearly ten-year delay before her guilty plea was largely due to evaluations of her mental fitness to stand trial. Multiple assessments found her unfit, leading to extended stays in psychiatric care and postponements in the court process. These steps, while necessary to protect legal rights, also meant a lengthy wait for justice by the victims and their families.
Related Incidents in Las Vegas
This case is one of several serious traffic-related incidents in Las Vegas involving multiple injuries or fatalities. For example, not long ago, a driver was sentenced to several years in prison after a high-speed collision that sadly resulted in one death and another injury.
Details of the 2015 Las Vegas Incident
On December 20, 2015, then-24-year-old Holloway drove a 1996 Oldsmobile with Oregon plates onto crowded sidewalks along the Las Vegas Strip. She struck pedestrians across multiple locations over several blocks, injuring 38 people in total. The victim who lost her life was Jessica Valenzuela, a 32-year-old mother visiting from Arizona.
Following the crash, Holloway fled the scene but later surrendered to hotel security personnel, admitting to the attack. Police noted the presence of cannabis in her system during the incident.
Initially facing 71 charges including murder with a deadly weapon, attempted murder, battery, and child abuse due to her daughter’s presence in the vehicle, Holloway originally pleaded not guilty. Her sentencing hearing is set for September 25.
