One of the qualities of Las Vegas roadways is that they often feel like a highway-road hybrid of sorts. In other words, you can often drive at moderate to fast speeds on a wide stretch of road, but then be forced to stop at a traffic light. This speed change sometimes results in an auto accident.

This appears to be the root of the problem behind a rear-end collision on Boulder Highway this week. On Wednesday just after 2:30pm, a 1985 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon was driving northwest on Boulder Highway in the east valley. According to police, the vehicle failed to slow for vehicles who were waiting at a traffic light at Harmon Avenue (near Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall), and the station wagon rear-ended a 2005 Ford F-550 utility truck. A Metro Police sergeant described the impact as "a tank hitting a tank."

Two occupants in the work truck suffered only minor injuries, but the two adults and two children in the station wagon all required hospitalization. The 54-year old male driver and a 7-year old girl suffered critical injuries, while the 29-year old woman and the 4-year old boy were reported to be in serious condition. Police are investigating whether the driver was impaired at the time of the auto accident.

It is unclear whether the four individuals are related (though the man and woman have different surnames). But one news outlet reports that the three passengers were from Mexico. So if the woman is unrelated to the driver and the children in the station wagon belong to her, she could still file a personal injury lawsuit against the man on behalf of herself and her two children – even if she is not a U.S. citizen.