A Las Vegas woman says she was mistakenly told her husband had been killed in a hit-and-run crash in the city before the coroner admitted an identification mix-up had taken place.
Esther Acosta was horrified to be told that Brandon Green “had succumbed to his injuries” following the accident in September before being later informed by police that the Clark County Coroner misidentified him and he was still alive, reported 8NewsNow.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a September 15 statement that “a pedestrian” had been taken to the University Medical Center Trauma Center to be treated for his injuries.
Several days later the department issued another statement clarifying that a “representative from the Clark County Coroner’s Office advised the LVMPD Collision Investigation Section that the pedestrian had succumbed to his injuries at the University Medical Center and was pronounced deceased.”
Acosta, a mother of two daughters, explained the emotional impact the mix-up had on her.
“How can someone mistakenly be dead? Did my husband’s heart stop?” Acosta told the outlet.
In a GoFundMe posted on 16 October, Green’s sister-in-law shared that he had finally been released from intensive care – a month after the hit-and-run.
Sandra Hernandez described how he had been “left for dead on the road” and was fighting for his life in ICU for a month.
The accident left him with brain bleeding, blood clots, and fractures. He is expected to stay in hospital for several more months.
Metro Police reportedly told Green’s wife that they haven’t yet located the suspect or a set of plates but have honed in on a vehicle, reported 8NewsNow.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said they were investigating a “white Acura TSX” with 2011-14 plates, and visible damage to the “windshield, grill, and bumper”.
“How can anyone live like that knowing that they hurt somebody, they can potentially hurt somebody else,” she told TV station KSNV.
“This is wrong for somebody to do something like this to a human being and to leave him for dead there like this person is still out there, living their life, consciously living their life thinking what they did is okay or they can just brush it under the rug.”
The Independent contacted LVMPD and the Clark County Coroner for comment.
