Family names the woman as Lynessa Gyen Perkins, 43, as police outline how witness video helped track the suspect.
LAS VEGAS, NV — A woman struck and killed just after 1 a.m. on Jan. 1 near the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign has been identified as Lynessa Gyen Perkins, a 43-year-old mother of three, as officers arrest a 77-year-old California man in the hit-and-run, police said.
Authorities say the collision on South Las Vegas Boulevard marked the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s first traffic death of 2026 and sparked a dayslong search for the driver. Investigators now accuse Edward Dias, a retired California law enforcement veteran, of leaving the scene after his Cadillac SUV hit Perkins in a travel lane near East Russell Road. The case has drawn attention because of the busy Strip location, the New Year’s timing, and the family’s public calls for accountability as detectives move the case toward its first court deadlines.
Perkins was walking north in the far-left lane of Las Vegas Boulevard when a northbound 2019 Cadillac SUV struck her, according to police. The crash happened minutes after midnight on Thursday, Jan. 1, as visitors gathered around the landmark sign on the south Strip. Paramedics took Perkins to University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Family members later identified her as a mother of three who had recently been in Las Vegas; relatives described her as caring and close with her children. “She does have a family that cares,” cousin Erica McCoy said. “There’s a light gone, for sure.”
Investigators say the driver did not remain at the scene. A witness visiting the sign told police he recorded video of the Cadillac and its license plate after the SUV stopped briefly on a nearby private drive. Detectives obtained surveillance and the witness’s clip, then ran the plate information. Officers canvassed hotels and casinos for matching guest records and found Dias staying at a resort off the Strip. When contacted, Dias acknowledged striking “something,” according to an arrest report summarized by police, and he was taken into custody on a count related to failing to stop at the scene of a crash that involved death. Police said the pedestrian was 43 and from Olathe, Kan.; the Clark County coroner later confirmed the identity as Perkins.
Perkins’ mother, Pam Osmond, questioned why the driver left. “So why did he run if it was an accident?” she said. Friends said Perkins had been walking her dog, a pit bull named Lola, before the crash; volunteers found the dog the next day trembling on a doormat at an apartment complex near the Strip. A local pet rescue group arranged care for the animal until relatives could arrive. Police said data and roadway evidence supported accounts that Perkins was in the left travel lane when she was hit, and emphasized that the investigation remains active as they continue reviewing video, interviewing witnesses and processing the Cadillac for damage.
Records show Dias is 77 and spent about 27 years with a California sheriff’s department before retiring. Officers said he was driving a Cadillac XT5 SUV at the time of the collision and left northbound. A valet worker told police Dias later mentioned being in a traffic crash near the M Resort. Detectives noted an inconsistency in his explanation about driving limitations after the impact, pointing to a left-hand U-turn captured north of the site. Police have not alleged impairment and did not release a speed estimate; both remain unknown. Metro said Perkins’ death is the first traffic fatality it has logged this year, a metric the department tracks as part of its annual roadway safety push.
After his arrest, Dias was booked into the Clark County Detention Center. A judge set bond at $100,000, and court records show he posted it ahead of a follow-up appearance scheduled for Jan. 6. He faces a charge tied to duty to stop at a scene of a crash involving death. Prosecutors said additional counts could be considered as the case file is finalized and lab results return. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Collision Investigation Section is leading the inquiry; detectives are preparing supplemental reports for the district attorney ahead of charging deadlines this week.
On Monday, relatives gathered near the south Strip and at family homes to trade stories and select photographs of Perkins. Neighbors described her as quick to help with errands and child care, even when juggling her own schedule. “She was one of those people you could call in the middle of the night,” McCoy said. “We want the truth about what happened.” Near the sign, New Year’s traffic flowed past orange cones and skid marks still faint on the pavement. Visitors paused to take pictures where the roadway widens by East Russell Road, pointing toward the northbound lanes where police say the impact occurred.
As of Tuesday afternoon, police said the investigation is ongoing and that further updates would come after the Jan. 6 court session. Detectives are still gathering statements from additional visitors who were near the landmark around the time of the crash. The case now moves from preliminary police findings to the courtroom, where a judge will set the next date and determine what evidence is released publicly.
Author note: Last updated January 6, 2026.