LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Prison staff were quickly at the scene of a fatal crash after the driver, an employee who was suspected of being under the influence was sent home from work moments before he lost control of the vehicle and died.
The 8 News Now Investigators obtained more than an hour of video from the body-worn camera of the first Nevada State Police trooper at the scene of the July 2 single-vehicle crash.
Las Vegas-area prison employee suspected of impairment sent home, crashes and dies
“I understand this is a lot right now, and I’m sorry,” Trooper Mark Willner told witnesses.
The body of Miles Collins, 38, was ejected from the pickup truck he was driving. Emergency responders attempted lifesaving measures.
While one witness said it appeared Collins was racing another vehicle, others said they only saw the truck rolling as Collins lost control of the vehicle.
Collins was an HVACR specialist at Southern Desert Correctional Center. The medium-security prison is located near Indian Springs, which is an approximate 45-minute drive north of Las Vegas.
Collins was suspected of being under the influence while at work around 6:30 a.m., his supervisor was notified, he was driven to a Concentra in Las Vegas for a test, and driven back to the prison, according to a report obtained by the 8 News Now Investigators.
According to internal documents reviewed by the 8 News Now Investigators, at least one employee noted Collins was slurring his speech.
Collins left the prison in his Toyota Tundra around 10:30 a.m., the crash occurred in the southbound lanes of US-95, and Collins was pronounced dead by 11:16 a.m., a report stated.
Collins had MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, and THC in his system when he died, according to the Clark County coroner.
The coroner ruled Collins’ death an accident and determined the cause to be blunt force trauma to the head and torso.
More than three months after the deadly crash, it remained unclear why Collins was allowed to drive home from the state prison in his condition.
At the scene, Willner was not immediately informed about what had unfolded.
“I guess I have the warden here with a couple of other high-ranking officials,” Willner said on a call from his police vehicle. “I haven’t spoken to them yet. They’re still kind of hanging out to the right side of my truck.”
An investigator for the state prison system approached Willner.
“So this is kind of unusual thing for us normally. I’m just here, kind of a liaison, see if you guys need anything,” the investigator said. “I was instructed by my supervisor to hang out until the coroner takes possession of the body.”
More than an hour after Willner was at the scene, a Metro officer relayed more information.
“They might have an issue. Apparently, he showed up to work intoxicated this morning,” he said. “They took him to Concentra for a urine test. They were supposed to take him home and they didn’t.”
A July 2023 manual, “State of Nevada Alcohol and Drug Program for State of Nevada Executive Branch Agencies,” addresses situations similar to the incident with Collins.
“Once the employee has completed all required testing, it is the appointing authority’s responsibility to make sure the employee is transported home,” according to the manual. “Typically, law enforcement will not be able to assist with this final step.”
In an Oct. 17 email, a Nevada Department of Corrections spokesperson wrote the department is unable to comment because it is considered a personnel matter.
Collins was hired in April 2017, the spokesperson said in a previous email.
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