Las Vegas driver guilty of 2nd fatal DUI crash could serve 10 years in prison
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Las Vegas man who served prison time for driving high and killing a motorcycle rider, who later had his driver’s license revoked after another DUI arrest, could serve 10 more years in prison after he killed another driver while impaired and behind the wheel of a rental car.
Earlier this week, Prentiss Bates, 51, agreed to plead guilty to a vehicular homicide charge for the September 2022 death of Demarr Sims, 40. Bates also agreed to plead guilty to DUI, his second fatal DUI charge and fifth DUI overall, the 8 News Now Investigators reported last year.
As part of the plea deal, Bates could be eligible for parole after 10 years, documents said, meaning he could be out of prison in 2032 with credit for time served. The plea stipulates a judge could sentence him to either life in prison or a finite 25-year term, both with the 10-year parole eligibility.
Bates killed Jim Burchette, 58, in November 2012. The crash marked Bates’ third DUI. He was driving another person’s rental car when he crashed into Burchette near Nellis Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue.
At the time of his 2012 arrest, prosecutors said Bates was high on PCP, a hallucinogen, records showed. Bates told the responding officer he had recently smoked marijuana. The officer at the time noted Bates did not have a valid Nevada driver’s license and had a suspended California license. Bates also told the officer he had a prior DUI in California.
A judge sentenced Bates to eight-to-20 years in prison for Burchette’s death. The judge also ordered an interlock device be placed on his car for a minimum of three years following his release.
In August 2020, Bates, nearing the eight-year minimum of his up-to-20-year sentence, appeared before the Nevada Parole Board. During the hearing, a parole board member noted Bates did not attend any substance misuse treatment while in custody, the 8 News Now Investigators reported last year.
In June 2022, prosecutors charged Bates with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol – his fourth DUI arrest. Las Vegas Metro police officers said they found Bates sleeping behind the wheel of a car near Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road.
The arresting officers did not take Bates’ license away because they administered a blood test and needed its results to formally file a criminal complaint against him.
A judge set bail at $50,000. Bates was released on $5,000 bond pending another court appearance. Before his release, a judge ordered him not to drive and to wear a monitoring bracelet. The judge’s name is not written in the court docket, indicating it was a person filling in on a temporary basis.
Records show Bates failed to appear at an August hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest. A hearing happened in August, but it was unclear if Bates appeared or if an attorney appeared on his behalf. Bates remained out on bond pending a hearing in November — until his next arrest.
On Sept. 22, 2022, Bates was driving at nearly 100 mph on the wrong side of the road and was high on drugs when he slammed into the front of a parked car, killing its driver, Sims, police said. The crash happened in a construction zone.
Sims, a construction zone flagger, was sitting in a car awaiting the end of his shift, police said.
Even though Bates was arrested months earlier on his fourth DUI charge and had served prison time for driving high and killing a person, he had a valid Nevada driver’s license and was driving a car he rented.
Las Vegas Metro police formally submitted a letter asking the DMV to revoke Bates’ license on July 23, 2022. The DMV did not receive that request until Aug. 22. The DMV processed Bates’ revocation notice on Sept. 28, six days after police arrested him on his second fatal DUI charge.
Due to his arrest following a felony DUI conviction, a judge ordered Bates held in jail without bail pending trial. A sentencing date was scheduled for March 20.
Upon his release, Bates will be required to have the interlock device installed on his vehicle, documents said.
Last year, the 8 News Now Investigators contacted the car company believed to have rented Bates the car he was driving in his second fatal crash in September 2022. The company did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Bates also declined an interview request.
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