Two Nevada State Police Troopers lost their lives in a hit-and-run on a Las Vegas freeway in the early morning of Thursday, November 30, 2023, around 3:30 a.m.
Sergeant Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix, while conducting a welfare check on a motorist who appeared asleep in a vehicle, were struck by a white Chevrolet HHR. The driver involved in the incident then fled the scene.
One trooper was declared dead at the scene, and the other passed away at a nearby hospital due to the injuries sustained.
The suspected driver, 46-year-old Jemarcus Williams, was later apprehended at an apartment complex at Monroe Avenue and J Street. Williams is now in custody at the Clark County Detention Center, facing multiple charges including reckless driving and DUI resulting in death, along with failing to stop at an accident involving death.
At a hearing on Friday, December 1, prosecutors said that before the accident Williams had been drinking heavily in a casino and had to be escorted out by security. He was warned that police would be called if he drove his car and he walked away, making security think he would comply. When they left, though, he got into his vehicle and drove away. Bail has been set at $500,000 for Williams.
Sergeant Abbate had been with the Nevada State Police since December 2013 and had been recently promoted to his rank. Trooper Felix, a former member of the United States Air Force, joined the state police in 2019.
Their dedication was recognized by Governor Joe Lombardo, who expressed profound sorrow over their deaths. As a mark of respect, Governor Lombardo ordered all U.S. flags in Nevada to be flown at half-staff until the funerals of the fallen troopers.