Crash jams highway for hours

David Kihara

Wednesday, June 8, 2005 | 10:55 a.m.

At least 13 vehicles were involved in a massive wreck on U.S. 95 on Tuesday after a tractor-trailer ran head-on into an engine block that had likely fallen off a truck in heavy traffic, the Nevada Highway Patrol said.

No one was killed, but five people suffered injuries and were taken to University Medical Center Trauma Center.

Troopers said they were unable to report the conditions or more information about the victims, but a sergeant at the scene said that all victims were conscious when they were taken to the hospital.

The wreck, which took place near the Boulder Highway exit, brought northbound and southbound traffic to a halt and backed up vehicles for more than a mile in both directions for about seven hours.

Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Nihei said he hadn't seen a wreck on U.S. 95 stop the flow of traffic as badly in at least five years.

About 4 p.m. the tractor-trailer from Marco Auto Transport out of Calexico, Calif., was northbound on U.S. 95 going about 60 mph and hit an engine block believed to haven fallen from the back of a truck, troopers said.

The 18-wheeler, driven by Marco Madrigal, 42, then crashed into the concrete divider separating northbound and southbound traffic, authorities said.

About 60 feet of the concrete divider was smashed into the southbound traffic, causing 11 vehicles and one motorcycle to crash into the divider or into other vehicles. The vehicles were traveling at least 55 mph at the time of the accident, witnesses said.

The tractor-trailer, which was not carrying vehicles at the time, slid along the divider for about 200 feet before coming to a full stop, Nihei said.

Although 11 southbound vehicles were totaled or damaged so badly that they required a tow truck, the tractor-trailer was the only northbound vehicle that was involved in the pile-up.

"It's just another on of those amazing facts" about the wreck, said Nihei, who expressed amazement that there were no fatalities.

The Highway Patrol was searching for the owner of the vehicle that lost the engine block and could cite the driver. Nihei said officers uncovered the number on the engine block and would try to track down the owner.

"With something like this, you have to look for the owner," Nihei said.

The highway patrol's commercial division is also examining the Marco Auto Transport truck to check if it was in full compliance with transportation regulations. Nihei added, however, that the examination was a formality and officials didn't suspect that the semi was at fault in any way.

Madrigal, who lives in Calexico, said he was initially horrified that he might have killed someone in the accident.

"At first I was worried about the people. Now I'm worried about my truck," he said.

Madrigal said he has owned Marco Auto Transport for seven years and comes to Las Vegas two or three times a week to transport vehicles. He was coming to Las Vegas to haul vehicles from the Greater Las Vegas Auto Auction, according to a work order.

Noel Santa Brigada, who was one of the drivers involved in the wreck, said he was southbound on U.S. 95 to pick up his two teenage children from their school in Green Valley when he saw the tractor-trailer hit the concrete divider.

Brigada attempted to dodge the flying chunks of concrete and other vehicles, and in the confusion of the collision, his black 1997 Nissan Sentra crashed into another vehicle.

"I can't remember which car I hit," he said. "After my car went sideways I just prayed."

Another driver, Glen Lagasca, said he drove on U.S. 95 every weekday as part of his commute to and from work. He was driving at least 50 mph a little before 4 p.m. when he saw the semi swerve and then hit the divider, causing what he described as an explosion of smoke and concrete.

Lagasca then lost control of his 1993 blue Ford Probe. He said he spun around three times, and when his vehicle came to a rest, he was facing oncoming traffic. Another vehicle then drove head-on into his Ford, he said.

Still, he said, he was overjoyed that he wasn't hurt in the wreck.

"I feel very very, lucky," he said.

Tommy Thompson, the supervisor on call with the Nevada Department of Transportation, said at the scene of the wreck that NDOT was assigned to clear the debris from the freeway and construct a temporary divider.

Thompson said that NDOT today would put out a bid for a private contractor to construct a new divider, and it would be completed in three and five days.

The last major collision on U.S. 95 occurred in August 2000 when a tanker crashed on the freeway near the Harmon Avenue overpass and ignited. The tanker and 8,700 gallons of gasoline caught fire for at least 90 minutes before officials put the blaze out, according to news reports.