LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A deadly crash involving two out-of-state police officers is prompting businesses to call for traffic safety improvements near the intersection where it happened.
Spring Mountain Road and Decatur Boulevard has been the site where several fatal crashes have taken place.
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“It’s dangerous," said Art Christenson, the general manager of Crown and Anchor Pub. "The question that I’ve been asked is ‘How often accidents happen?’ I say, ‘Once a week.’”
Crown and Anchor Pub is a British-themed bar that is open 24 hours. Its driveway is off of Spring Mountain. Christenson says he saw the aftermath of the crash that happened last Friday.
Police say Robert Ferraro, a police officer from Connecticut, was speeding through the intersection before his Rolls Royce crashed with another car. Ferraro's passenger, Officer Joshua Castellano, was killed.
“It’s a huge loss for everyone," said Gabriel Grasso, Ferraro's attorney. "Obviously the Castellano family, but it’s just devastating for Robert Ferraro to have lost his best friend and partner.”
Grasso says Ferraro and Castellano have known each other since high school. They went through the police academy together, and they were partnered on the force.
Ferraro has been charged with a DUI resulting in death and reckless driving. On Thursday, his lawyer said he posted bail and has been taken off house arrest. Ferraro will return to Connecticut, until his hearing in January.
The crash reminds business owners of another deadly morning nine years ago. In November 2012, a drunk driver sped through the Spring Mountain-Decatur intersection and rammed into a crowded bus stop. Seven people were injured. Four of them died.
That incident led the Safe Community Partnership Program and Clark County to team up to place a concrete barrier around that bus stop. However, business owners, like Christenson, want to see more done to improve the safety around the entire intersection.
