Accidents kill two; four taken to hospital
Two people were killed on Southern Nevada highways Sunday morning, including a 12-year-old girl who was ejected from a vehicle that overturned, Nevada Highway Patrol said.
About 8 a.m., a 21-year-old driver from Utah lost control of a southbound Geo Metro on Interstate 15 near Apex, said NHP Trooper Kevin Honea.
The car rolled over, throwing a 12-year-old girl and a 9-year-old girl out, Honea said. The older girl was pronounced dead at the scene and the younger one was airlifted to University Medical Center with critical injuries, Honea said.
The preliminary investigation indicated that the two girls weren't properly restrained in the vehicle, authorities said.
The driver, a 21-year-old passenger and another 12-year-old girl riding in the vehicle were taken to UMC with injuries that were not life-threatening, Honea said. Authorities believe the girls were in the vehicle with their aunt.
The second fatal accident occurred just before noon on U.S. Highway 95 at mile marker 19 between Laughlin and Searchlight.
A man driving a van northbound crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, Honea said. The van sideswiped a tractor-trailer and then spun out of control.
The driver, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene, Honea said.
The driver of the tractor-trailer did not have any serious injuries.
Honea said it didn't appear that alcohol or drugs played a part in either crash, but authorities were still investigating the accidents.
