NHP reports numerous accidents on SR160 over icy weekend

Nevada Highway Patrol responded to an unusually high number of accidents on State Route 160 this weekend, likely due to icy conditions found near the top of the mountain pass between Pahrump and Las Vegas.

Trooper Loy Hixson, a public information officer for the agency, said NHP responded to a total of eight accidents from 6 a.m. Friday to midnight on Sunday between mile markers 18 and 24 of the highway.

Six of those accidents reportedly resulted in minor injuries to those involved, while the other two involved property damage.

The trooper said there were no serious injuries to report from that stretch of the highway this weekend.

Hixson added that many of the accidents reported between Friday and Sunday were single-vehicle incidents likely caused by snowy and icy conditions at the top of the mountain.

On average Hixson said NHP is called out to only a single accident per weekend in that area, if any, putting this past weekend at eight times the normal average.

Although there were no serious injuries to report from the incidents in the Mountain Springs area, NHP was called to respond to a fatal accident just before 9 a.m. Saturday in Las Vegas near the intersection of State Route 160 and El Capitan Way.

Cheryl Leigh Huff, 26, reportedly died after the SUV she was a passenger in collided with a van that was said to have turned into its path at the intersection.

The driver of the SUV was taken to University Medical Center in critical condition for treatment, while the driver of the van was reportedly uninjured.