NHP: Two Texas Motorists Killed in Lyon County Accident
Submitted by editor on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 3:34pm
Two motorists from Texas died in a vehicle accident this morning on Highway 50 Alternate Route eight miles east of Fernley, the Nevada Highway Patrol reports.
Renee J. Upchurch, 53, and Esther Garza, 59, from San Diego, Texas, died as a result of injuries from the accident, said NHP Trooper Chuck Allen in a news release.
NHP was dispatched to a motor vehicle collision on Highway 50 Alternate, just east of Farm District Road in Lyon County, 8 miles east of Fernley. The details of the accident learned so far indicate that a grey 2008 Ford Sport Trac pickup with Texas license plates, occupied by two females, was parked on the right paved shoulder of the 4-lane highway where the posted speed limit is 65 miles per hour.
It is unclear why the vehicle was stopped and parked on the paved shoulder, Allen said.
Also traveling east bound in the right lane approaching the area where the pickup was parked was a 1999 International 3-axle Nevada Department of Transportation truck. For reasons still to be determined and investigated, the big truck departed its travel lane and veered onto the right shoulder area and struck the rear of the pickup.
The pickup was pushed into the dirt area adjacent to the roadway and remained on its wheels while the large truck continued to travel just off the right roadway edge and rolled over onto its right side, Allen said.
One of the females was pronounced deceased at the scene who was later identified as Renee J. Upchurch, 53 of San Diego, Texas, while the other was airlifted from the crash scene to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno via Care Flight. The NDOT employee, 61-year-old Leslie Brewer of Sparks, sustained injuries ranging from minor to moderate and was transported by ground ambulance to Renown, Allen said.
NHP was notified this afternoon that the second female, identified as Esther Garza, 59, also from San Diego, Texas, succumbed to her injuries at approximately 9:56 am at the hospital. Family members of both victims were notified as quickly as possible, according to the news release.
The Nevada Highway Patrol-Northern Command Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T.) will be conducting the investigation and witnesses, or anyone with additional information, is encouraged to call Trooper Mike Stapledon at (775) 689-4623, or the Department of Public Safety-Communications Center at (775) 6847-0400 regarding case # NHP-1106130380.
- accident
- Afternoon
- Care Flight
- center
- county
- died
- Family
- Farm
- fernley
- highway
- information
- International
- license
- license plates
- lyon county
- medical
- Members
- Morning
- NDOT
- Nevada
- Nevada Department of Transportation
- Nevada Highway Patrol
- News
- news
- NHP
- public
- regional
- Sparks
- sport
- struck
- travel
- truck
- vehicle
- reno
