One dead, seven injured in I-15 accident near Las Vegas Speedway
May 9, 2011 - 12:48 pm
One person was killed and seven people were injured Sunday night after a pickup driving the wrong way on Interstate 15 collided with a car.
The collision happened near the Las Vegas Speedway about 10:30 p.m., according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
A 2001 GMC Sierra truck traveling south in the northbound lanes struck head-on a Chrysler 300 carrying five occupants.
After the initial accident, a tractor-trailer collided with the pickup. Police said the pickup then caught fire.
A passenger in the car, 29-year-old Elvira Cortez, died at the scene. Four others in the car were taken to University Medical Center, as was the driver of the pickup and two others in the tractor-trailer. Their injuries were nonlife-threatening, and their names were not released.
Police said there was evidence to indicate alcohol was a factor, but the investigation is ongoing.
Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.