An elderly woman driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of Highway 50 in Carson City caused a four-car accident that injured several, sending them all to the hospital.
The accident occurred about 11:44 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 27 in the vicinity of Centennial.
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The elderly woman hit another driver head on, who suffered a broken arm in the incident. The elderly woman was conscious at the scene.
Authorities called in Care Flight and four people were taken to Renown for treatment.
The road was closed in both directions while the law enforcement investigated the accident.
A spokesperson for the Nevada Highway Patrol Northern Command declined to release further information, including names of the victims.
According to the Nevada Department of Transportation, there were 409 wrong-way crashes resulting in 75 deaths during a 10-year period. Nationwide, the Transportation Research Board estimates that there is an average of 360 deaths each year caused by wrong-way drivers. In over half of these crashes, the drivers are under the influence of alcohol.
More recent statistics show that the Nevada Highway Patrol received 434 calls for wrong-way drivers in Southern Nevada and 192 calls for Northern Nevada in 2019.
This year’s statistics started quickly, with a wrong-way driver call coming in within one hour of the new year on Highway 11.
The NDOT is part of a program testing wrong-way driver detection systems, which include cameras and flashing warning signals that detect a vehicle heading the wrong way. Research indicates that the systems are 80 percent effective in stopping drivers from continuing the wrong way.