Another fatal traffic accident has occurred over the weekend in Nevada. According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, a deadly traffic accident took place on County Highway 215 in the northwest valley, just minutes after 6:00a.m. on Saturday morning June 22. Nevada Highway Patrol troopers were notified of the incident and responded to the single car crash on the IR215 and Lone Mountain Road.
The accident involved a red 2016 Dodge Charger which was traveling northbound on the IR215. For reasons still unknown at this time, the driver lost control of the vehicle and veered off the roadway. Possible reasons could be related to speed, impairment, loss of consciousness, or any other number of yet to be determined factors. The car moved through the dirt area on the side of the road and continued traveling north until it came to a halt when it crashed into the concrete bridge embankment for the Lone Mountain overpass. At this point, the car overturned.
The 28-year-old male driver, a resident of Las Vegas, was taken by helicopter to the University Medical Center. However, the driver did not survive his critical injuries and was later pronounced dead at UMC. The coroner was expected to release the driver’s identity and the cause of death after relatives of the deceased were notified.
According to the David Boehrer Law Firm, Nevada is notoriously ranked in the top ten for states with the highest number of car accidents in the United States, with approximately 50, 000 car injuries annually. This translates to more than 500 injuries and five deaths each week. The number of car accidents in the state has been on the rise and reached a deadly high in 2018.
One reason offered to explain the dangerous trend of why car accidents in Nevada are increasing despite improved safety systems in vehicles is that Nevada is a top vacation location spot for many travelers. This means that many of the drivers, as tourists, are unfamiliar with the roads. Moreover, a large portion of these travelers are partaking in nightlife activities which often involves driving in the dark and sometimes the drinking of alcohol. The combination of these factors could contribute to an increased risk factor for lethal car accidents.
Historically, the most dangerous single day for driving on the road is July 4. With the holiday and the accompanying celebrations just around the corner 4th, Nevada authorities are preparing for a busy period. The increase in accidents is attributed to several contributing factors. Some reasons may be that many people are on the roads at night driving to and from fireworks displays. The combination of crowded roads, along with the dark, fatigue, and the greater chance that alcohol has been consumed at holiday events and celebrations is a deadly cocktail leading to roadway accidents and fatalities.