Crashes shut down all traffic on I-15 near Mesquite

The northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 15 near Mesquite closed Friday night because of separate collisions, the most serious involving five motorcycles and a vehicle, the Nevada Highway Patrol said.

Trooper Joseph Fackrell said the most severe crash occurred about 8:50 p.m. on I-15 south near mile marker 109, about 13 miles south of Mesquite. Fackrell said one person was airlifted to University Medical Center in critical condition. One person also needed to be extracted from the vehicle. Fackrell didn't know the extent of that person's injuries.

Fackrell said that about the same time as the first collision, there also was a three- or four-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes, also at mile marker 109.

Two people were transported to a nearby hospital with what were thought to be nonlife-threatening injuries, according to the highway patrol.

The highway was not expected to reopen for several hours, the highway patrol said late Friday night.