Deaths probed in I-15 incident

A man and a woman were killed Thursday after exiting their disabled vehicle on Interstate 15, just south of Silverado Ranch Boulevard.

Trooper Kevin Honea, spokesman for the Nevada Highway Patrol, said investigators were not certain about how many vehicles or collisions were involved in the pre-dawn deaths.

"As of right now, I believe we have four separate incidents where vehicles were involved in this," he said Thursday afternoon.

Honea said investigators had inspected four commercial vehicles to determine their involvement. None of those vehicles was found at the scene.

"We're trying to determine where each vehicle falls in the chain of events," he said.

The spokesman said a black pickup was traveling north before it pulled over to the right shoulder around 5 a.m. He said evidence indicated that a male occupant left the truck to change its left rear tire, which was flat.

Honea said the Highway Patrol first received calls from passers-by about a motorist in need of assistance. They described a woman waving her arms on the side of the roadway.

As troopers headed to the scene, Honea said, the agency began receiving reports of two people being struck. He said investigators do not know whether the man and the woman were hit by the same vehicle or separate vehicles.

"We're investigating all possibilities," he said.

He said evidence indicates a vehicle went off the roadway and hit the driver's side of the pickup before continuing north.

The two victims, who were pronounced dead at the scene, have not been identified. Honea said the pickup had a California license plate, and the male victim had identification from Oregon.

Honea said the freeway was closed for several hours Thursday between St. Rose Parkway and Silverado Ranch. Northbound traffic was diverted off the road at St. Rose, and in Sloan and Jean.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact investigators at 432-5219.