A Fallon woman was arrested Saturday in the death of her passenger as a result of a crash on Interstate 80 earlier in the month.
A Nevada State Police spokesman said Tallulah Secunda Ketchum, 39, was booked into the Washoe County jail for the felony crimes of vehicular homicide, reckless driving causing death, and the misdemeanor charge of failure to maintain a travel lane. Nevada State Police Highway Patrol Division, with the assistance of Good Samaritans, the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor were involved in the arrest of Ketchum.
The NSP said a preliminary investigation revealed Ketchum was driving a gray Lincoln MKZ eastbound on I-80 on March 6. While negotiating a curve, she failed to maintain control of the Lincoln and ran off the roadway left, striking the center median guardrail. The Lincoln then re-entered the travel lanes and ran off the roadway right, fell off the embankment/cliff and overturned.
The male passenger, Tamar Tsonetokoy, a 37-year-old Wadsworth resident, was ejected, and died at the scene. Ketchum was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center via Care Flight with non-life-threatening injuries and remained there until her discharge and subsequent arrest.
The NSP said impairment and speed are suspected factors in this collision.
This crash is being investigated by the Highway Patrol Division’s Northern Command West Multi-Disciplinary Investigation and Reconstruction Team - Case 220300432. If anyone has any information about this crash, send an email to ncwmirt@dps.state.nv.us and reference the case number.
