Left inset: Waymon Wells (KLAS/YouTube). Right inset: Joshua Baker (Red Rock Harley Davidson/Instagram). Background: The crash scene in Las Vegas where Waymon Wells allegedly struck and killed Joshua Baker as he was sitting on a Harley-Davidson at a red light (KLAS/YouTube).
A Las Vegas father of five who was sitting at a red light on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle was hurled into the air and killed by an intoxicated driver, who slammed into him while rushing to place a bet at a casino, according to police and prosecutors.
Waymon Wells, 64, was under the influence of cocaine, benzodiazepines, 11-Hydroxy-THC and Delta-9-THC from marijuana edibles and cannabis when he failed to decrease his speed and nailed Joshua Baker, 48, on April 8 at the intersection of West Oakey Boulevard and South Verde Jardin Way, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime.
Evidence collected at the scene, along with witness statements, indicated that Wells was driving a 2016 Jeep Renegade and "failed to use due care" while approaching the red light where Baker was sitting on a 2025 Harley-Davidson Road Glide, cops say.
"This action caused the front of the Jeep to strike the Harley-Davidson's rear, projecting it and its rider southeast, resulting in the rider's total ejection," the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department alleges in a press release.
Wells, who also struck a Kia Telluride idling at the light, told responding officers that he was on his way to place a bet when the crash occurred, according to local CBS affiliate KLAS, which cites information shared in court by Clark County prosecutors.
Wells was arrested after the crash and charged with DUI of alcohol and/or controlled or prohibited substance resulting in death, driving without a valid driver's license, and failure to decrease speed under certain circumstances. Baker was pronounced dead at the scene.
"I want that mother f—er to rot in jail," wrote Baker's sister on Facebook about Wells.
"He took my brother," the sister said. "Let him rot."
Court records show that Wells has two previous misdemeanor convictions and two open traffic citations. He was ordered held on $500,000 bail.
"It's something that could've been prevented," attorney Amanda Nalder, who is representing Baker's family, told KLAS.
"He made that choice to be on that road that day," Nalder said. "Josh just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time that day."
Baker's sister wrote on Facebook that his family is "absolutely devastated" by his death. "I'm selling my bike," she said. "I'm done."
Baker's wife, Renee Barber, told KLAS, "We are going to be lost without him, and he has five children, who now don't have a father because of somebody's choice to be under the influence and drive."
Baker is described by Red Rock Harley Davidson, where he worked as a master technician, as someone who "lived and breathed the Harley-Davidson spirit," according to a social media tribute posted by the local motorcycle dealer.
"He dedicated 20 years to his craft, taking pride in every bike and every rider he helped along the way," the tribute says. "He built more than machines — he built relationships, trust, and a legacy that will ride on for years to come."
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