Cause of deadly crash near Red Rock Canyon determined by NHP

The Nevada Highway Patrol has determined that a fatal rollover crash Sunday morning at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area was caused by a driver overcorrecting his vehicle after swerving into the dirt shoulder for unknown reasons.

The agency had initially reported Sunday that the crash was caused by a Lexus heading eastbound on state Route 159 whose driver had attempted to make a U-turn just west of the entrance to the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Loop and had entered the westbound lanes into the path of a Subaru.

But, the Highway Patrol said Thursday that the investigation has since revealed that after the Lexus driver, identified by the Clark County coroner’s office as 58-year-old Huifang Liu, entered the dirt shoulder, then overcorrected, causing the vehicle to rotate into the westbound lanes. The Lexus rolled over after slamming into the Subaru.

Liu and his passenger, a 53-year-old man, were both pronounced dead at the scene, while the Subaru driver and a passenger, who officials said was critically injured, were both taken to University Medical Center for treatment. The passenger’s condition was not known Thursday.

The 53-year-old Lexus passenger will be identified after his family has been notified by the Clark County coroner’s office. His case remained pending Thursday afternoon.

The crash marked the third traffic fatality investigated by the Highway Patrol, resulting in four total deaths this year.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.