Crash on I-15 kills woman, causes traffic havoc at speedway

Cruel irony struck NASCAR fans at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday after a nearby highway collision shut down Interstate 15 soutbound, trapping speed enthusiasts in the parking lot while exiting traffic moved at a snail’s pace.

Fans saw Matt Kenseth win the Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 400 race by zipping around the track. They were left craving Kenseth’s speed as vehicles exiting the speedway were bumper to bumper for several hours because of a fatal collision on Interstate 15 at 2:50 p.m., only minutes before Kenseth drove past the finish line.

The speedway’s parking lot became a spectacle on its own. Some fans took it in stride, embracing an opportunity to extend their tailgate. Others couldn’t help but feel frustration.

“We sat and ate in the parking lot, and we thought it was safe, but we still got stuck,” said Brenda Combs of Henderson.

Jenna Spalding of Las Vegas noted alcohol was a must for some, including two passengers in her sport utility vehicle.

“The two of them (her passengers) have a handle of Captain, and I’m the designated driver,” Spalding said.

Spalding’s car battery died after two hours of sitting in traffic. She had to get a jump start.

Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Loy Hixson said a 31-year-old woman driving a Volkswagen southbound on Interstate 15 near the Cheyenne Avenue exit drove into the path of a semitrailer pulling hay.

The woman died at University Medical Center.

The accident victim’s identity was not released.

After the crash, authorities shut down traffic on southbound I-15 between the Las Vegas Beltway and the Cheyenne exit for more than four hours. Drivers were diverted onto the Beltway westbound, Hixson said

Other drivers in the speedway’s parking lot were diverted to Las Vegas Boulevard.

Las Vegas police spokesman Bill Cassell Sunday afternoon urged fans to stay calm and await direction from officers or security personnel from the speedway.

Interstate 15 southbound reopened at 7 p.m.

Shortly after 7:30 p.m., Cassell estimated the speedway’s parking lot was 80 percent clear.

Chris Powell, president of the speedway, said his thoughts Sunday were for the accident victim’s family.

He added that NASCAR fans handled the traffic backups with patience. He said fans generally understand that when a nearby car fatality happens, a thorough law enforcement investigation must occur.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Powell said.

He added, “This was an issue that was not speedway related.”

Powell said he’s confident fans will continue to pour into the speedway for future events.

He wouldn’t give exact attendance figures for Sunday’s race, but noted it was “well north of 100,000.”

Even though NASCAR fans were faced with discomfort, some were able to put it into perspective.

Lynda Holloway of Chehalis, Wash., said waiting out traffic in the speedway’s parking lot was not that bad. The situation could have been worse, Holloway said.

“I’d rather be in traffic than have what happened to that woman happen to me,” she said.

Assistant City Editor Carly Brockinton contributed to this report. Contact reporter Antonio Planas at
aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.