LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Hundreds of locals gathered at the Silverado Ranch Community Center to honor those who died in crashes on our roadways and pledged to do their part to make our community safer.
“Today we remember them, every day we remember them, and we always remember them," said Norma Aguilar who lost her daughter in a deadly crash.
Norma's youngest daughter Savannah was hit and killed by a driver who ran a red light in 2017.
“It just really sucked for her to be the one to go, but me and my brother and my dad and my mom, we all continue to push her name out there and her story like she said, and just remind people that these aren’t just numbers, these are people," said Vanessa Aguilar, Savannah's sister.
The Aguilar family shared Savannah's story on Sunday at the World Day of Remembrance in the south valley. They joined other families who had lost loved ones in a candlelight vigil.
These families hope their stories will push drivers to think about the choices they make on the road.
“It could so easily be avoided if people just thought about things before they got behind the wheel of a car," said Angela Ahmet who lost her husband in a deadly crash while riding his bike.
WATCH | What the 14 'Miles of Memories' signs on Kyle Canyon Road mean to the community
“If we can reduce that risk for everybody that’s a huge win," said Brenton Underwood, a Las Vegas local of 13 years.
I've been looking into this trend of rising deadly crashes on our roads. The Nevada Office of Traffic Safety tells me impairment and speed are the leading causes of these fatal crashes.
The state's latest year-to-date fatal report also reports increases in pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorcycle deaths compared to the same time last year.
“Please slow down, make sure that everybody gets home at the end of the day and safely through the holiday," said Erin Breen, the Director of the Road Equity Alliance at UNLV.
For the World Day of Remembrance, hundreds participated in a run, silent bike ride, car show and more to raise awareness of what you can help do to stop the rise in deadly crashes.
“I’m just really hoping that people wake up and realize that reckless driving and making bad decisions like this is really impacting the city," Vanessa said.
The community pledges to not only drive safer, but to call on our lawmakers to help make our roads safer during the 2025 Legislative Session.
WATCH | What is the state doing to stop the rising number of deadly crashes in Clark County?
