LAS VEGAS, NV – Police reports confirm that a man in Las Vegas, accused of fatally hitting a Marine veteran while driving under the influence, has disappeared from the United States after being released on bail.
Iurie Trofim, 40, reportedly struck Carson Heath, 55, with his Ram 1500 pickup truck on the night of August 26. Heath was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred near the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, west of the Las Vegas Strip.
Upon inspecting the crash site, the Nevada Highway Patrol discovered parts of a Ram 1500, while a witness credibly reported to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police that they had followed the same vehicle to a location about 10 miles from the Las Vegas Strip.
Trofim, found on the scene, was arrested on suspicion of DUI and booked into the Clark County Detention Center. Analysis revealed matched the vehicle parts found at the crime scene with Trofim’s Ram 1500, leading to charges against him, including DUI and reckless driving resulting in death. He also faces charges for failure to stop at an accident involving death, as well as failure to provide aid at a vehicle accident.
Trofim managed to post the $10,000 bail set by a “pro tem” judge on August 28. He was ordered to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet while his driving privileges were suspended. Despite this, Trofim vanished by his September 3 arraignment, and a lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf in court.
Trofim, reportedly a dual citizen of the U.S. and Moldova, is suspected to have returned to Moldova. Court records indicate that the defendant’s alcohol-monitoring bracelet last pinged at Los Angeles International Airport on August 31, implying that he likely fled the country from there.
Heath’s family voiced their outrage at the circumstances, questioning the decision that allowed Trofim to bail out. It remains to be seen how the U.S. legal system will navigate this case.