A 17-year-old male driver from Fallon was killed in a head-on crash Tuesday morning about 30 miles west of Austin on U.S. Highway 50, reports the Nevada Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred at about 11:45 a.m. in the vicinity of New Pass. The incident caused the highway to be closed for hours as traffic was re-routed over Carroll Summit on State Route 722.
NHP said its preliminary investigation shows the driver, whose name was not released because of his age, was driving a 1995 Chevy Tahoe eastbound on U.S. 50. Ralph Young, 65, of Austin was driving a 2003 Kenworth commercial motor vehicle with a set of double trailers traveling westbound on the highway. Young was hauling alfalfa hay bales.
For unknown reasons, the NHP said the Chevy Tahoe driver allowed his vehicle to cross the centerline, and Young steered his truck to the right in an attempt to avoid collision. Both vehicles then hit head on.
After the collision, the Chevy Tahoe traveled onto the south dirt shoulder of the highway where it overturned and came to rest on its top. The NHP said the Chevy Tahoe driver juvenile was not wearing his seatbelt and died from his injuries at the scene.
The semi-tractor and two trailers then overturned on its right side blocking both travel lanes of U.S. 50 and catching fire. Young, who was wearing his seatbelt, freed himself and exited out of the windshield before fire engulfed the entire truck and trailer.