April 23, 2026 - 10:29 am

The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s director of photography, an avid cyclist and veteran photojournalist, was in critical condition after being injured Thursday in a hit-and-run crash.

Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Jarvis Dudley said John “Sam” Morris was riding his bicycle at 7:30 a.m. in the 3200 block of East St. Louis Avenue near Fremont Street when the crash occurred. The driver, who was in a red sedan, fled the scene.

According to Dudley, witnesses reported that the crash stemmed from a road-rage incident.

He said Morris and the driver “exchanged words” before the driver cut Morris off and slammed on the brakes, causing Morris to hit the back of the vehicle.

Morris was in critical condition on Thursday evening at University Medical Center, according to spokesperson Emily Atuna.

Dudley said no arrest had been made as of Thursday evening.

Morris, a photojournalist with more than 25 years of experience in the Las Vegas Valley, was named the Review-Journal’s director of photography in December 2023.

He previously worked for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the Las Vegas Sun and, from 2014 to 2015, the Review-Journal.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he took the opportunity to ride his bike from coast to coast, sharing his adventures via social media with the Las Vegas community.

Before moving to Las Vegas, Morris covered sports and events in Northern California and Nevada as a stringer for The Associated Press.

His awards include Photo of the Year in the Nevada Press Association 2014 Better Newspaper Contest.

Morris, a native of Iowa, is married with three daughters.

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X. Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com. Review-Journal Digital Content Producer Tony Garcia contributed to this report.