NHP identifies Fernley woman who died in Sunday's wrong-way I-80 crash
The Nevada Highway Patrol identified a Fernley woman who died in a wrong-way crash early Sunday morning on Interstate 80 west of Patrick and the USA Parkway.
Katie Marie Russell, 21, died of injuries she sustained in the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene, said NHP Trooper Matthew McLaughlin.
She was driving a gray 2006 Chevrolet HHR SUV westbound in the right-hand travel lane of eastbound Interstate 80 and struck a maroon 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV. The male driver in the Chevrolet Tahoe suffered seriously injuries and was flown by Care Flight, said McLaughlin.
The crash happened shortly just after 2:30 a.m. NHP troopers responded to multiple reports of a wrong-way driver on Interstate 80, traveling westbound in the eastbound travel lanes. At approximately 2:34 a.m., Nevada DPS Dispatch was advised of a crash involving the wrong way driver on Interstate 80 west of Patrick.
Preliminary investigation shows the gray 2006 Chevrolet HHR SUV driven by Russell was traveling westbound in the right-hand travel lane of eastbound Interstate 80. A maroon 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV was traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 toward Fernley in the right-hand travel lane. The wrong-way Chevrolet HHR struck the Chevrolet Tahoe head-on in the eastbound travel lane.
Both eastbound travel lanes were shut down at the Mustang exit during the investigation. Traffic was rerouted until the roadway was fully reopened at 6:45 a.m.
If you were a witness to this incident, or have any information regarding this collision, please contact Trooper Chris Kelly of the Nevada Highway Patrol Multi-Disciplinary Investigation and Reconstruction Team (M.I.R.T.) at 775-687-9649 or ckelly@dps.state.nv.us NHP Case #180900096.