Karen Cannon told repair shops and AAA she believed she hit an animal after the crash that killed Patrick Deloriea.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A Las Vegas woman was sentenced Wednesday to 38 months to eight years in prison after admitting she struck and killed a pedestrian with her Tesla, left the scene and later sought repairs while saying she hit an animal.
Karen Cannon, 64, pleaded guilty to reckless driving resulting in death and hit-and-run resulting in death in the May 13, 2025, crash that killed Patrick Deloriea at Rainbow Boulevard and Vegas Drive. The sentence closed a case that began with police searching for a dark Tesla Model Y with front-end and windshield damage, then led investigators to body shops, an insurance claim and the damaged parts of Cannon’s vehicle.
The crash was reported at about 1:18 a.m. on May 13 at North Rainbow Boulevard and Vegas Drive. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said the Tesla was traveling south on Rainbow Boulevard when Deloriea was crossing on the north side of the intersection. Emergency medical workers tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the Tesla driver did not stop or call authorities. At sentencing, Cannon cried and asked Deloriea’s family to forgive her. “Please forgive me, please,” she said in court, according to accounts from the hearing. Family members answered “no” from the gallery.
Investigators said evidence at the scene, witness statements and video helped identify the vehicle as a Tesla Model Y. Police later said Cannon was driving a 2023 Tesla Model Y and that Deloriea, listed by police as 33, was the pedestrian killed. Reports citing the arrest investigation said testing showed the Tesla was traveling 66.3 mph in a 35 mph zone when it hit Deloriea. The impact threw him 155 feet, investigators said. The crash was listed by police as the 66th fatal traffic-related collision in the department’s jurisdiction in 2025.
The search for the vehicle moved from the crash scene to repair shops. Local reports said Cannon contacted Ken Kittle, owner of 4 Aces Body Shop, around 8 a.m. the morning of the crash, about seven hours later. Kittle said Cannon told him she had been in a small fender bender and wanted the car fixed quickly so she could return to work. He said the damage looked severe. Cannon later brought the Tesla to Nevada Auto Collision Center, where she told workers she had hit something resembling a coyote while returning from California, according to police reports described in court and local coverage.
AAA contacted Metro on May 20 about a claim Cannon had made. Police learned the Tesla was at a Las Vegas auto body shop, obtained a search warrant and impounded the vehicle. The next day, Kittle called investigators after seeing reports about a Tesla involved in the deadly crash and noticing police activity around Cannon’s vehicle. He told police he still had the front left fender from the Tesla. Investigators recovered it. Reports said Cannon also told a tow company she hit a coyote. In a recorded AAA call, she said she had dropped off a friend, felt she hit something, did not see anything and drove home. She had not contacted police before filing the claim.
Cannon was arrested June 4, 2025, more than three weeks after the crash. At her first court appearance, prosecutors said she had tried to get the Tesla repaired at least twice. She initially faced charges that included reckless driving resulting in death, failure to stop at the scene and destroying or concealing evidence. A judge set bail at $150,000, with high-level electronic monitoring and a no-driving order. Cannon later entered guilty pleas in Clark County court. District Judge Danielle Pieper said at sentencing that “bad driving” often has no consequence until a case reaches court and a family is left without a loved one.
Deloriea’s family described a loss that changed daily life for his wife, child and relatives. His wife, Rebecca Marie Hahn, held a photo of Deloriea and their young son in court and said the loss of her husband had “completely and permanently changed” her life. Deloriea was described in reports as a Las Vegas bartender and martial artist. His mother, Melody Peterson, rejected Cannon’s apology in court. Cannon said she did not mean for the crash to happen and told the family she was sorry. The family’s response focused on the decision to leave the scene and the days that followed.
The criminal case now moves into the prison phase after Cannon’s sentence of 38 months to eight years. No further hearing date was listed in the sentencing updates. The crash remains part of the public record of fatal traffic cases investigated by Metro’s Collision Investigation Section.
Author note: Last updated April 24, 2026.