Drivers killed in Silver Springs accident identified

Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006 | 5:04 a.m.

Two drivers who were killed in a head-on collision on U.S. 50 four miles west of Silver Springs have been identified as Diana Parsons, 50, of Fallon and 59-year-old William Howell of Sheffield, Ohio.

The Nevada Highway Patrol said the eastbound car driven by Parsons crossed the double-yellow center line Tuesday afternoon and struck the pickup driven by Howell.

An investigation was continuing into whether alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor to the accident.

They were among four people killed in three accidents on Tuesday in western Nevada.

Tina Park, 42, of Smith Valley was killed when her Jeep utility flipped on Lower Colony Road. The Nevada Highway Patrol said she was speeding and lost control of the vehicle before it overturned.

A chain-reaction crash on U.S. 95, 15 miles south of Hawthorne, involved four tractor-trailer rigs and a passenger car. The driver of the passenger car was killed.

A semi rig stopped in the southbound lane of the highway because of zero visibility in a dust storm. The passenger car stopped behind the rig and was rear ended by the other three rigs.

Richard Harms, 52, of Winnemucca, was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife, Carol Ann, 48, was flown to Washoe Medical Center in Reno with serious injuries.

One rig contained more than 240 head of calves, of which more than 90 died. The highway reopened late Wednesday after being closed more than 15 hours.