One person died Sunday morning after a Carson City driver allegedly drove the wrong way on Interstate 580.
The Nevada Highway Patrol says a silver 1995 Honda Accord driven Jackie Contreras, 34, of Carson City was traveling the wrong way —southbound — in the northbound travel lanes of I580 with its headlights off when it struck a white 1999 Ford Expedition traveling in the left northbound lane of I580 near Bellevue Road in Washoe Valley.
The passenger of the Expedition died. The driver of the Expedition was transported to Renown in Reno with critical injuries. The driver of the Honda was transported with life-threatening injuries. Alcohol and or drugs are being investigated as a factor in the cause of this accident.
After the initial crash a vehicle unaware of the event, struck a vehicle that was in the roadway that had stopped. A fifth vehicle then struck one of the vehicles involved in the secondary crash. None of the occupants of the secondary collisions suffered life-threatening injuries.
NHP says it is 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.
I580 northbound is two lanes in each direction with a center divided median, it was shut down for several hours while the NHP investigated the crash scene. There is no roadway lighting in this area of I580 and the speed limit is 65 mph.
Trooper Chris Kelly of the Nevada Highway Patrol’s Multi-Disciplinary Investigation and Reconstruction Team 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 him at (775) 689-4661 or ckelly@dps.state.nv.us regarding case number NHP-150601193.