Bail was set at $250,000 Monday for a man suspected of DUI in a crash that killed a 23-year-old motorcyclist early Sunday in the Las Vegas Valley.
The Metropolitan Police Department said Danny Simpkins, 57, is accused of DUI and reckless driving causing death in the crash at the intersection of East Serene Avenue and South Spencer Street just after 1:45 a.m.
The motorcyclist was identified by the Clark County coroner’s office as Kaleb Murphy of Las Vegas.
Police said Murphy was operating a 2025 Baodiao 10 Lines motorcycle headed north on Spencer Street when Simpkins, operating a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, turned left “against a red turn arrow signal” and crossed into the motorcycle’s path.
Police said Simpkins showed signs of impairment.
In court Monday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Hetty Wong said “the defendant was driving impaired” when he made the left on a red signal into oncoming traffic, striking the motorcyclist. Immediately after the crash, a witness traveling in the same direction as the motorcyclist got out of his vehicle and went to check Murphy, who died at the scene, Wong said.
“The witness also observed this defendant outside of his vehicle talking on his cellphone and then at some point the defendant started yelling at the witness,” saying the motorcyclist ran a red light, which “we know that’s not true,” Wong said. “The defendant had a red light. The victim had the green light.”
Simpkins failed field sobriety tests, Wong said.
Defense attorney Randal Leonard asked for a $25,000 bail, noting blood tests on his client were still pending as of Monday.
“We do have some questions though regarding what the state of the traffic control devices were at the time,” Leonard said. “My client believes that he did have the right of way. We don’t know how fast the motorcyclist was driving.”
Leonard said Simpkins has lived in Southern Nevada for more than two decades and “is a businessman.”
“I don’t think he is a danger to the community,” Leonard said.
Wong’s request for the $250,000 bail was granted by Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum. Baucum also ordered high-level electronic monitoring, no driving and no consumption of alcohol or drugs for Simpkins.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.
