Interstate 15 near Jean reopens after fatal crash

Published Saturday, July 25, 2009 | 12:24 p.m.

Updated Saturday, July 25, 2009 | 4:30 p.m.

Interstate 15 in Jean

One person is dead and traffic into Las Vegas was tied up for about three hours after a single-car crash Saturday morning on Interstate 15 near Jean.

At about 11 a.m., a Toyota 4Runner with California license plates was traveling north in the center lane of I-15 when the tread on one of the vehicle’s rear tires separated, said Nevada Highway Patrol Sgt. Kevin Honea.

The driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle for some distance but lost control after hitting the brakes, Honea said.

The vehicle then went across another travel lane and the paved shoulder before hitting the guardrail, causing the vehicle to spin multiple times, he said.

Three rear-seat passengers weren’t wearing seat belts, Honea said. One was ejected through a rear window and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The two other backseat passengers were taken to University Medical Center’s trauma unit with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver and other front-seat passenger were wearing seat belts and weren’t injured in the wreck, Honea said.

Traffic was diverted from northbound I-15 to Las Vegas Boulevard through Jean until about 2 p.m.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office will release the victim’s identity.

Discussion: 6 comments so far…

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By mred

July 25, 2009

3:43 p.m.

Suggest removal

We need the Reid Rail Line.
By Lenny_V

July 26, 2009

1:21 a.m.

Suggest removal

Driving 101. Don't brake if a tire blows out.
Bad driver cost someone their life.
By James_P_Reza

July 26, 2009

8:33 a.m.

Suggest removal

Yet another death by a choice to not wear a seatbelt.
By Babyboomer

July 27, 2009

6:16 a.m.

Suggest removal

Re-treads are the worse thing ever allowed. Never knowing when they will fail would make me a wreck.Second...no seat belts,sorry no excuse, he/she could be alive today....but isn't and that is so sad.
By JournalistJ

July 27, 2009

8:42 a.m.

Suggest removal

Does anyone know what happened out between Primm and Jean on Sunday afternoon? There was some sort of truck or bus fire or something. I sat at a standstill in traffic for about an hour. Then, we were moving very slowly for about another 10 minutes and passed the scene, where there were firemen and policemen with a burnt out shell of something in the right lane of the freeway. I can't find anything about it online.
By Kyle Hansen (Staff)

July 28, 2009

6:49 p.m.

Suggest removal

Thanks everyone for your comments.

JournalistJ, you are right, there was a motorhome on fire on Sunday afternoon that briefly closed the freeway. We posted a story on Monday about it.

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