Kurt HildebrandFirefighters work at the scene of a seven-car pileup at Jacks Valley Road and Highway 395.
The southbound lanes of Highway 395 at Jacks Valley Road reopened at 5 p.m. after being closed for four hours while a seven-vehicle accident was cleared and investigated.
The accident occurred when an 18-wheeler failed to stop for the traffic signal at about 1 p.m., resulting in damage to six other vehicles stopped at the light.
At least two people being critically injured, one other with serious injuries and another with less serious injuries, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Chuck Allen said the trucker hit his brakes but didn't slow enough to keep from slamming into a green Honda and a green Explorer. The Explorer was forced into an adjacent white dump truck, and also struck a Chevrolet van. The van then hit the rear of a silver Buick. The Honda hit the back of a BMW in the chain reaction accident.
Two women and a young man had to be cut from the wreckage of the Explorer by East Fork firefighters. The women were taken by Care Flight helicopter to Renown with critical injuries. The man was taken to a local hospital.
The driver of the Honda was taken to Renown by a second Care Flight helicopter with serious injuries. A passenger in the silver Buick also claimed injuries.
Allen said that in all, 11 motorists and seven vehicles were involved in the accident.
Both southbound lanes on Highway 395 were blocked because of the sandwiched vehicles and the completion of the onscene portion of the investigation, Allen said. Southbound traffic were rerouted onto Jacks Valley Road by NDOT personnel until about 5 p.m. Motorists also used the dirt portion of Valley Vista between Topsy Lane and Jacks Valley Road.
