Highway patrols report no I-15 fatals

Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2004 | 9:37 a.m.

Hundreds of thousands of people returned home from Las Vegas Monday after the Labor Day holiday without major mishaps, according to law enforcement and airport officials.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority estimated more than 270,000 people visited the resorts over the three-day weekend, the traditional last vacation fling of summer.

Neither the Nevada Highway Patrol nor the California Highway Patrol had reported any fatal collisions along Interstate 15 as of late Monday.

The NHP and the CHP teamed up this year to ticket speeders and other traffic scofflaws, meaning troopers were visible writing tickets on both sides of the Nevada-California border Monday.

Traffic wasn't just caused by outsiders this holiday. AAA Nevada said that 287,000 Nevadans traveled 50 miles or more during the weekend, up 2.2 percent from a year ago.

Although four terminals at Los Angeles International Airport -- a major feeder for Las Vegas -- were shut down for more than three hours early Saturday after a passenger bypassed security in one terminal and flashlight batteries exploded in luggage during the screening process at another terminal, the delays did not affect McCarran International Airport.

"We didn't have any major delays from the shutdown," McCarran spokeswoman Elaine Sanchez said late Monday.

Security lines at McCarran, often criticized for delaying visitors on their departing day, operated smoothly and efficiently, according to passengers leaving Monday.

Dana Rhodes of Pomona, Calif., said she arrived in Las Vegas for the long weekend on Friday.

"Security lines weren't too long," Rhodes said. "I don't mind the extra time it takes."

For Thomas Edwards of Orange County, Calif., a security checkpoint is part of traveling by air.

"It depends on the time of day and how busy the airport is at the time," Edwards said.

"It's better to be safe," said Jim Smith of Los Angeles. "I didn't mind security at all."