CCSD Teacher Killed in Street Racing Crash

What Happened

The crash happened on May 22, 2026, near the intersection of Boulder Highway and Desert Horizons Drive in southeast Las Vegas. It was the final day of the Clark County School District's academic year.

According to investigators and reports from FOX5 Vegas and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Zachary Zwick was driving a Hyundai Elantra at high speed when he struck Jeffrey Buchbaum's Chrysler Pacifica. The collision was severe. Buchbaum, 55, died from his injuries. His wife, Jennifer Boske, was also in the vehicle. She survived but was injured in the crash.

Zwick was 28 years old at the time of the crash. Law enforcement charged him with two felony counts of reckless driving causing death or substantial bodily harm. Those two counts reflect the two victims in the vehicle, Buchbaum and his wife.

Despite the seriousness of the charges, Zwick was released from custody on a $10,000 bond. That number drew swift and strong criticism from community members and safety advocates. Many felt it was far too low given that a man had died and a second person had been seriously injured.

What made the circumstances even more striking was Zwick's history. According to reports, he had a prior citation for "exhibition of speed," which is the legal term Nevada uses for the kind of dangerous high-speed acceleration associated with street racing. That prior citation did not result in consequences serious enough to stop him from getting behind the wheel again and driving recklessly.

Jeffrey Buchbaum taught special education at Cynthia Cunningham Elementary School. He had been with CCSD for 22 years. The last day of school is typically a celebration for teachers and students alike. It is a day of goodbyes, end-of-year parties, and the joy that comes with wrapping up another year of hard work. For Buchbaum, that day ended in tragedy.

His family, his students, his colleagues, and the entire CCSD community lost someone who gave more than two decades of service to children who needed extra support and extra patience. That loss is immeasurable.

A wide urban road at dusk with traffic moving in both directions and street lights overhead — Wide arterial roads like Boulder Highway see high volumes of traffic at all hours. Photo: Unsplash

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Street racing is not a new problem in Las Vegas. It is not a problem that only happens in other cities. It happens here, on real roads, in real neighborhoods, and it kills real people.

Boulder Highway is one of the most dangerous roads in the entire Las Vegas Valley. It is a wide, long, mostly straight corridor that runs through southeast Las Vegas and into Henderson. Those characteristics make it attractive for drivers who want to drive fast. They also make it deadly when those drivers lose control or hit other vehicles.

The stretch of Boulder Highway near Desert Horizons Drive, where this crash happened, is a mixed-use area. There are homes nearby. There are businesses. People cross that road. People drive it every single day to get to work, to get their kids to school, to run errands. It is not a racetrack. It was never meant to be one.

The community's anger over the $10,000 bond is understandable. In Nevada, felony reckless driving causing death is a serious charge. But a $10,000 bond, which typically requires only 10 percent to be paid to a bail bondsman, can mean a defendant is released for as little as $1,000 out of pocket. Many residents felt that the punishment did not match the gravity of taking a man's life.

For CCSD families, this tragedy hits particularly close to home. Buchbaum taught special education. Special education teachers are among the most dedicated professionals in any school district. They work with students who have learning disabilities, developmental delays, physical challenges, and other needs that require individualized attention every single day. Those teachers build deep relationships with their students and families. Losing one of those teachers is not just a professional loss. It is a personal one for every family that teacher ever served.

Clark County School District is the fifth-largest school district in the United States. It serves hundreds of thousands of students. The special education community within CCSD is enormous. The loss of a teacher with 22 years of experience in that field is a genuine blow to a program that is already stretched thin.

Beyond the immediate grief, this tragedy raises a broader question. If a driver with a prior citation for the same dangerous behavior can still be on the road, still be driving recklessly, and still be able to kill someone, what is the point of that first citation? What needs to change so that the first warning actually prevents the next crash?

Background and History

Street racing has been an ongoing concern in Clark County for years. The wide, flat roads that make the Las Vegas Valley easy to navigate also make it easier for drivers to reach dangerous speeds. Complaints from residents about street racing and reckless driving have been a recurring theme at city council and county commission meetings for more than a decade.

Nevada law does have provisions for felony reckless driving. When reckless driving causes death or substantial bodily harm, it can be charged as a category B felony, which carries serious penalties. But critics of the current enforcement environment argue that too many drivers treat the lower-level citations as the cost of doing business. Exhibition of speed citations, without meaningful follow-up consequences, may not deter repeat behavior.

Boulder Highway itself has a long and troubled safety record. The road stretches from downtown Las Vegas southeast toward Henderson, passing through a mix of residential areas, commercial strips, and older neighborhoods. It has consistently appeared on lists of the most dangerous roads in Nevada. Pedestrian fatalities, vehicle collisions, and speed-related crashes have made Boulder Highway a focal point for transportation safety advocates in the region.

That is why the "Reimagine Boulder Highway" project is so significant. Henderson has committed $184 million to a comprehensive overhaul of the corridor. The project includes adding streetlights, improving pedestrian crossings, upgrading transit infrastructure, and redesigning elements of the road to calm traffic and reduce speeds. Henderson recently activated 400 new streetlights as part of that effort.

Better lighting, safer crossings, and thoughtful road design can save lives. But engineering improvements alone cannot stop a driver who chooses to race at high speed through a neighborhood. Enforcement, consequences, and community accountability have to work alongside infrastructure investment.

A road illuminated by bright street lights at night showing the glow along the pavement — Improved street lighting is one component of the Reimagine Boulder Highway safety project. Photo: Unsplash

What Happens Next

Zachary Zwick faces two felony counts of reckless driving causing death or substantial bodily harm. The criminal case will move through the Nevada court system. Felony reckless driving in Nevada is a category B felony, which can carry a prison sentence of one to six years per count. With two counts, the potential consequences are significant if he is convicted.

The case will be watched closely by the community and by traffic safety advocates. How prosecutors pursue the charges, how the court handles the bond and any future hearings, and what sentence is ultimately imposed will all send a message about how seriously Clark County takes street racing deaths.

Jennifer Boske, Buchbaum's wife, survived the crash but sustained injuries. Her road to recovery is its own painful chapter in this story. She lost her husband. She was physically hurt. And she must now navigate both grief and legal proceedings at the same time.

At Cynthia Cunningham Elementary School, the end of the school year that should have been a celebration became something else entirely. Colleagues who worked alongside Buchbaum for years are processing the loss of a teammate and friend. Students and families who knew him are grieving a teacher who gave so much of himself to their children.

CCSD has resources for students, families, and staff dealing with trauma and loss. Counselors and support staff are available within the district. For families at Cunningham Elementary who may need support, reaching out to the school directly is a good first step.

Safety advocates are also using this moment to push for more consistent enforcement of street racing and exhibition of speed citations throughout Clark County. The argument is straightforward: if a prior citation is treated as a minor inconvenience rather than a serious warning, it will not stop the next dangerous incident. The question is whether this tragedy will prompt a meaningful policy response.

Ryan's Take

I have lived in the Las Vegas Valley for a long time. I know how important safe streets are to the people who live here. When you choose a neighborhood to buy a home, you are also choosing the roads your family will drive every day, the sidewalks your kids will walk on, and the community that surrounds you. Safe streets are not just a transportation issue. They are a quality of life issue. They are a community issue.

Jeffrey Buchbaum's death is a tragedy in every sense of the word. He spent 22 years giving his professional life to children who needed him most. He was on his way home on the last day of school, a day that should have been joyful, and he never made it. His wife was with him. She is now dealing with loss and injury that no one should have to face.

What makes this even harder to accept is that the driver had already been cited for the same dangerous behavior. The system had a chance to intervene before this happened. That is worth examining honestly, without pointing fingers at any single person or agency. The whole system, how citations are handled, what consequences follow, and what enforcement looks like on these corridors, deserves a hard look.

Boulder Highway has been a problem road for a long time. The investment Henderson is making in Reimagine Boulder Highway is real and meaningful. But infrastructure takes time. In the meantime, people are driving that road every day. Teachers, families, workers, and neighbors all use that corridor. Every single one of them deserves to get home safely.

A car driving on a city road at night with the glow of street lights reflecting on the wet pavement — Every commuter on Boulder Highway deserves to get home safely. Photo: Unsplash

What You Can Do

If you witness street racing or reckless driving on Boulder Highway or anywhere in the Las Vegas Valley, you can report it. Call the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department non-emergency line at 702-828-3111, or dial 911 if you believe someone is in immediate danger. Try to safely note the vehicle description, color, and license plate if possible, but never put yourself at risk to do so.

Clark County also has a traffic engineering complaint and concern process through its public works department. If you live near Boulder Highway or another road with persistent speeding or dangerous driving patterns, submitting a formal concern puts it on the record and can help prioritize enforcement resources.

For Henderson residents, the Reimagine Boulder Highway project has had public input phases in the past and will continue to evolve. Staying engaged with Henderson's city council and transportation planning updates means your voice is part of the process. You can follow the City of Henderson's website and public meeting schedule to find opportunities to participate.

If you want to support the CCSD special education community, consider reaching out to organizations that support families of children with disabilities in Clark County. Groups like the Nevada PEP (Parents Encouraging Parents) organization provide resources and advocacy for families navigating special education. Teachers like Buchbaum built careers on serving those families, and supporting the community he served is one way to honor his memory.

Finally, talk to your neighbors. Talk about road safety. Talk about what you see on your streets. Community awareness and collective attention to dangerous driving patterns can make a real difference. Neighbors who look out for each other, and who are willing to report what they see, create neighborhoods that are harder for dangerous driving to take root in.

Jeffrey Buchbaum dedicated 22 years to his community through the children he taught. Honoring that means working together to make sure the roads we all share are as safe as they can be.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime.