Two men were killed and six others injured in a three-vehicle accident on Highway 28 near Sand Harbor this afternoon.
According to Trooper Mike Edgell, a Ford F350 pickup truck was southbound about 3:30 p.m. on the winding two-lane highway when driver Miguel Perez, 26, crossed the center line and struck the trailer of a northbound Cinderlite semi truck driven by Mark Thorpe, 54, of Yerington.
Edgell said a Ford Taurus carrying two men and two women appeared to have pulled as far right in the lane as possible, but were struck head-on by the Ford pickup. The impact flipped the truck and sent the Taurus into a rock wall lining the road.
The 57-year-old driver of the Taurus and his 51-year-old passenger whose hometown was not immediately available died at the scene. Their names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, said Edgell.
Backseat passengers Lori Brown, 57, of Reno, and Rhonda Farlow, 56, were criticallly injured and taken from the scene by ambulance to a rescue helicopter in Incline Village.
Perez's two sons and an adult male passenger were taken from the scene with moderate injuries
Edgell said Perez sustained minor injuries. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash.
Thorpe was not injured.
The accident shut down traffic in both directions for more than four hours.
Edgell said this accident raises the total of fatalities on Northern Nevada roads between January and July to 36, five shy of the total number of fatalities in 2010.