Video shows the driver swerving from one lane to the next just moments before the fatal impact
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Since 2010, Julius Hopkins has been reportedly cited by the police on at least 19 occasions for various traffic infractions, which include driving without a license, insurance, and registration. However, none of these violations prevented the 32-year old from being behind the wheel on the night of September 23rd when he allegedly struck and fatally injured cyclist Nathan Miller, 32. Now, Hopkins is incarcerated and questions about why he was driving are flying at multiple parties.
The accident occurred on Nellis Blvd near Tropicana Ave in Las Vegas. Video of the scene shows Miller riding through the scene on his bike. Mere seconds after he’s left the image a black vehicle rushes up behind him, swerves from one lane into the next, and appears to lose control.
Hopkins was reportedly piloting that car and police say that he was reportedly speeding too. In fact, they blamed him for the accident and for losing control of the car but didn’t arrest him at the time of the crash. Only after an independent investigation did police finally take Hopkins into custody on October 26th.
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That investigation by local news station 8 News Now uncovered that Hopkins has at least 19 citations for driving without a license, insurance, or registration since 2010. “I’ve never been in an accident in my life,” Hopkins said. “I wasn’t supposed to be driving, yes. I was not supposed to be driving. Those are facts. Those are facts. But I’ve never been in an accident in my life, and I never expected something to happen like that in my life.”
He says that he’s been denied a license in the past because of the citations and that driving without one is a necessary evil to care for his family: “I have to try to make something happen. I have a wife. I have a kid. I’m a godparent, man. I’m a father that works. I have to do something, I can’t just be a sitting duck just because I don’t have a license.”
Notably, Nevada decriminalized minor traffic offenses last January. Now, Hopkins is completely incapable of caring for his family as he’s sitting in a jail cell on a $50,000 bond. He’s facing charges of reckless driving resulting in death, child endangerment, and driving without a license, insurance, or registration.
Where do you stand on all of this? It is evident that Hopkins bears responsibility for his driving behavior, but does the state deserve some responsibility for not holding him more accountable before the accident? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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