A Carson City man who died in a car accident in Mound House in April that claimed the lives of his two young children had high levels of methamphetamine in his system, a Nevada Highway Patrol report indicates.
David Melendrez, 30, was killed April 22 when his westbound Honda Accord crossed the center line and sideswiped an eastbound Chevrolet Avalanche, then collided head-on with an eastbound GMC Sierra on Highway 50 East. The GMC then ran over the hood and front windshield of the Accord.
Melendrez's two children, Alexis, 8, and Colton, 3, died within days in the hospital.
The NHP's crash investigation report, released Thursday, states a blood test determined that Melendrez, who was driving on a suspended license and had two DUI convictions on his record, had 280 nanograms of methamphetamine in his system. Under Nevada law, a person is considered driving under the influence of methamphetamine with a blood-methamphetamine content of 100 nanograms.
"David Melendrez was operating Vehicle No. 1 under the influence of a controlled substance," the report concluded.
Investigators found no issues with the weather or the vehicle to explain why the Honda crossed into oncoming traffic, according to the report.
The report also states neither of the other two drivers was intoxicated.
Speculation that a fourth vehicle may have caused the wreck and fled the area could not be verified, the report states.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment