AMARGOSA VALLEY — Five people were killed and one person, a woman, was injured in a three-vehicle crash in rural Nye County, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
At 4:23 p.m. Sunday, authorities received a report of a crash on U.S. Highway 95 near Amargosa Valley, Highway Patrol spokesman Travis Smaka said. The highway was closed for hours between Nevada Highways 160 and 373 as troopers investigated the crash but all lanes were reopened by early Monday.
No names had been released as of Tuesday morning.
A northbound car attempted to pass a pickup on U.S. Highway 95, about 85 miles northwest of Las Vegas, when it moved into the southbound lane to pass, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol. It collided head-on with a car, then hit the side of the truck. The truck flipped over, and the man driving died at the scene.
The northbound car burst into flames, killing both people inside. The southbound car also had two people inside who died at the scene.
The injured woman was flown by helicopter to University Medical Center and is expected to survive, Smaka said.
Smaka said he had no additional information about the five people who died.
Names and causes and manners of death will be released by the Nye County coroner’s office after the Clark County coroner’s office performs autopsies, the Clark County coroner’s office said earlier this week.
The stretch of highway where the crash happened is a legal passing zone, Smaka said.
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#update Fatal crash US95 / Nye County closed in both directions. Avoid area and use alternate route if possible. Unknown when travel lanes will reopen. #drivesafenv #BuckleUp #nhpsocomm pic.twitter.com/gmpGxVmwyv
— NHP Southern Command (@NHPSouthernComm) May 21, 2018