Prosecutors in Las Vegas want a 17-year-old driver who killed a retired police chief who was biking on the road to be charged as an adult.
California Police Chief Andreas Probst, 64, died after the vehicle rammed into him and knocked him off his bicycle on August 14.
Prosecutors from the Clark County District Attorney’s office want the teen behind the wheel when he is charged as an adult.
“I am confident that justice will be served in this case once this investigation is completed and appropriate charges are filed,” District Attorney Steve Wolfson said.
The driver was arrested shortly after the crash and taken to the juvenile detention center.
Police are looking for the teenager who captured the footage of the brutal attack
Probst, 64, was fatally struck on August 14 while cycling in northwest Las Vegas. Newly surfaced video shows he was deliberately killed by the teenage driver
Andreas Probst (pictured surrounded by his family) was fatally struck by a teenage driver in an intentional collision in Las Vegas on August 14. More than a month later, police are still searching for the passenger who filmed the sickening attack and urged the driver
The teenager is charged with open murder. His identity has not been released due to his age. Prosecutors also want to file separate charges in the case.
On Sunday, the Metropolitan Police Department said they were still searching for the second person in the car, a 2016 Hyundai Elantra, at the time of the crash, who was behind the camera and filmed the sickening video.
It is also believed that boy is a teenager.
“LVMPD is actively working to identify the passenger in the car,” a Metro spokesperson said.
On Saturday, a video circulated widely on social media and provoked outraged reactions, showing the driver asking: “Ready?” and the passenger, who was filming, laughs as he replies: ‘Yes, press his butt**.’
A visual analysis of the video by DailyMail.com confirms that it shows the same location where Probst was killed, on a stretch of North Tenaya Way, near West Centennial Parkway.
The fatal collision occurred around 6 a.m. while Probst was on his morning commute.
Police say a 2016 Hyundai Elantra struck him from behind and fled the scene at a high rate of speed. Probst was rushed to University Medical Center, where he was confirmed dead.
The suspected driver was arrested later that same day and police say he was linked to the theft of several other vehicles that morning.
Probst had a 35-year career in law enforcement in California, including as police chief of Bell, an unincorporated city in Los Angeles County.
He retired in 2009 and moved to Las Vegas, where he worked a remote job for a security consulting firm, and took up cycling to stay in shape.
His daughter, Taylor Probst, told the newspaper Review Journal she received an alert from her father’s Apple Watch indicating it had fallen on the morning of August 14.
The 17-year-old driver (left) was arrested shortly after the accident and is charged with murder. Nothing was said about the cost to the passenger (right)
Taylor Probst, left, and Crystal Probst, right, daughter and wife of Andreas Probst, sign a memorial for their father near the site of his death
Dozens of people gathered to remember the retired police chief who died untimely
Touching messages were left on a bicycle set up in tribute to the failed retired officer
Probst retired to Nevada after stepping down as police chief of Bell, California, in 2009
“He really was like a ray of sunshine that flowed through your life,” said Probst’s daughter Taylor, seen with her mother Crystal at a memorial vigil at the crash site.
On September 7, community members gathered at the site of the fatal accident to honor Probst with Ghost Bike, a permanently installed bicycle painted white to mark the point of impact.
She rushed with her mother, Crystal, to the scene of the accident, which was just three miles from their home.
By the time they arrived, Probst had already been taken to a hospital, but the signs he left behind were grim.
“I also came from law enforcement when I was younger,” Crystal told the newspaper. “I was able to determine that his bike is over there, his helmet is over there, his phone is over there. I’m like, this isn’t good.’
On September 7, community members gathered at the site of the fatal crash to honor Probst with Ghost Bike, a permanently installed bicycle painted white to mark the point of impact.
Officers from multiple local jurisdictions were also present to pay respects.
Mourners are seen joining Probst’s family at the site where he was killed in Northwest Vegas
Dozens of people gathered at a memorial for Probst earlier this month
Andreas Probst can be seen with wife Crystal, son Michael and daughter Taylor
“He was a wonderful man, a husband,” Andreas’ wife Crystal said at the memorial KLAS-TV. ‘A father, a brother.’
“He was honestly like a ray of sunshine flowing through your life,” daughter Taylor said.
Last year, 14 cyclists were killed on the roads of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, along with 72 pedestrians who were fatally struck, according to state data.
According to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 966 cyclists were killed in traffic crashes nationwide in 2021, the highest number in 40 years.