On June 28, 17-year-old Henrry Norberto was faced with three felony charges: DUI resulting in the death of a ten-year-old, reckless driving, and drug possession.
In Las Vegas, tragic DUI cases continue to arise, especially with the holiday season around the corner. These incidents leave residents scared to get behind the wheel, and Bishop Gorman students and staff are no exception.
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving “Drunk Driving deaths are up 22% since 2019…. And every 85 seconds, someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash.”
As years go by, drunk driving incidents continue to increase and leave the people in Las Vegas fearful to drive at night. Every weekend there are new stories of drunk drivers causing havoc, especially on highways.
Health and Wellness Counselor Mrs. Cross explained, “ there are certain times of the year where I would rather stay home, like for New Year’s Eve, even though it looks fun out on the strip, I tend to stay in and stay home for those days….. There is more awareness of when I should avoid these parts of town.”
Since so many people are out at night, it increases the risk of someone driving under the influence and someone getting injured. Many teenagers like to drive at night and hang out with their friends doing fun activities. Mothers Against Drunk Driving states, “ Every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes – that’s one person every 39 minutes.” Many of these horrible crashes have no warning and can change someone’s life in just a second. The recent tragic crash involving a teenager has only made the community more scared.
According to Teen accused of DUI , one awful DUI tragedy really hit home for the residents and drivers of Las Vegas. In June of 2025, 16 year old Henrry Norberto was driving a truck on the wrong side of Interstate I-15 and it resulted in a devastating crash that killed 10 year old Brandon Martinez, who was in the other vehicle with his father who tried to save him but was unsuccessful. Norberto was driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and his blood alcohol level was 0.164 which is twice Nevada’s legal limit. Even though he was a minor, this was such an awful incident that he was tried as an adult.
For most people this case is their worst fear in life and is exactly what they imagine now when they are driving at night. This case should be a warning sign for every teenager and driver in the Las Vegas area on how important it is to never drive under the influence and always be extremely careful when driving at night because you never know when you could be the next person on the news.
Ms Cross also mentioned, “ I think there is an education and awareness component that has to happen… How do we say no to drinking? How do we make it cool to be the person that says no thank you?… So I think a switch in the mindset for that and a lot more support from peers to actually support that decision instead of teasing them.”
Students all over Las Vegas have to start realizing the dangers of peer pressure and make a change. The Las Vegas community is working harder on preventing these types of deaths through more law enforcement out at night, DUI checkpoints, and educated students on how drinking and driving can have life changing consequences.
