Two people died and two are injured in a head-on crash early Saturday on Interstate 80 involving a vehicle going the wrong way near Sparks Boulevard, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Troopers responded at 3:15 a.m. to the crash west of Sparks Boulevard, involving a 1990 Mazda pickup driven by an adult male driver along with a male passenger who were traveling the wrong direction, going westbound in the eastbound travel lanes of I-80, said NHP Trooper Dave Gibson. The names of the victims are being withheld pending notification of family.
The pickup struck a green 1998 Mazda Protégé driven by an adult male along with an adult female passenger. The two vehicles collided head on in the left lane of eastbound I80 just west of the Sparks Blvd exit. The driver of the pickup and the passenger of the car died of their injuries on scene. The passenger of the pickup and the driver of the car were transported to Renown Hospital with critical life threatening injuries.
Alcohol is a factor in the cause of this accident. It is still unknown if any of the occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. The names of the deceased and injured are being withheld until they are identified and next of kin can be notified.
I80 eastbound was shut down for several hours while the NHP investigated the crash scene. There is spot roadway lighting in this area of I80 and the speed limit is 65 mph.
Trooper Karen Garretson of the Nevada Highway Patrol’s Multi-Disciplinary Investigation and Reconstruction Team (MIRT) is investigating this incident. Anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who may have information related to this incident is encouraged to reach out to her at (775) 689-4625 or kgarretson@dps.state.nv.us regarding case number NHP-150501938.