st. George —Traffic on Interstate 15 came to a halt Sunday night in both directions after a series of collisions set two vehicles in flames, while a semi-rollover caused a major fuel spill.
As a result, while responders responded in multiple scenes between Nevada and Arizona, several injured motorists were taken by air and ground to local hospitals, causing the driving lane to become a landing point. became.
Rollover on southbound I-15 near Littlefield, Arizona
The first incident occurred around 5pm MDT near Littlefield when a white minivan crashed into a black Toyota SUV. Beaver Dam Littlefield Fire Chief Jeff Hunt told the St. George News on Monday.
Hunt said the force of the crash caused the SUV to roll repeatedly until it was upright on the median, injuring a child under the age of 11 and seriously injuring the driver. The driver suffered “multiple broken bones” and the child suffered a head injury. At least three other people were injured in the accident and taken to hospital by ambulance.
“At the time of the crash, traffic on Interstate 15 in both directions was slowing to a near standstill,” Hunt said. “And we closed the southbound side for about 30 minutes so that both helicopters could land and transport patients, but the northbound backup was even worse.”
Footage of the two helicopters landing on I-15 facing south is included in the video at the top of this report and was provided by the Mesquite Fire Department.
Semi-crash and fuel spill on northbound I-15 in Moapa, Nevada
A second incident was reported shortly before 6:00 PM MDT on southbound I-15 near the Byron exit near Moapa, Nevada while responders were preparing to rollover. According to Hunt, the two-vehicle crash involved a fully loaded semi-tractor trailer tumbling off the highway onto the median, down an embankment, and across an interstate highway into a “massive” amount of fuel. was leaked, blocking all driving lanes in both directions. .
The northbound side reopened after a few hours, but a fuel spill kept the southbound side closed for nearly 12 hours before cleaning operations were completed. By 5am, all lanes were open. The crash was being investigated by the Nevada State Police.
Crash and vehicle fire on northbound I-15 near Mesquite, Nevada
Meanwhile, a third incident was reported on northbound I-15 near Mesquite just after 6:30 PM MDT when a white passenger car struck a sedan that had slowed for traffic. The van was then hit from behind by a passenger car. The force of the impact ripped the minivan door apart, throwing one of his passengers out.
According to Hunt, the minivan was converted into a kind of camper trailer, and when the door was ripped open, the passenger sitting by the door was also ripped out of the vehicle. When the helicopter landed, she was taken to a hospital in St. George in serious condition.
Hunt said the collision set one of the cars on fire, likely due to a fuel tank bursting. The fire then spread rapidly to his second passenger, who had stopped nearby, and the two vehicles were completely destroyed in flames, with black smoke billowing into the air that could be seen from miles away. , caught the driver’s attention.
Video clip of scene courtesy of Mesquite Fire Captain Spencer Lewis, drone footage of traffic captured by Chili.dawg courtesy of Kelli Chilingarian, smoke footage courtesy of Kelly Coleman.
Semi-rollover on I-15 north of Las Vegas, Nevada
Another semi-tractor trailer passed I-15 north of Las Vegas while responders worked on three crash sites. A photo of the overturned cicada is included in the gallery, but no details about the crash were available at the time of this report.
There are agencies that serve a variety of sites, including Beaverdam-Littlefield Fire Department, Mesquite Fire Department, Mojave County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Nevada State Police, Mesquite Police Department, Mercy Air Medical Transport, and Intermountain Life Flight. bottom.
This report is based on statements of paramedics and may not include the full extent of the incident investigation.
St. George News reporter Eric Gould contributed to this report.
Photo gallery
SUV after being rear-ended near Southbound I-15 near Littlefield, Arizona, April 2, 2023 | Photo Credit: Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire and Ambulance, St. George News
Semi-tractor and trailer overturn, spilling fuel onto roadway near Moapa, Nevada, April 2, 2023 | Photo Credit: Nevada State Police, St. George New
Three vehicles collide and two vehicles catch fire on northbound I-15 near Mesquite, Nevada on April 2, 2023 | Photo courtesy | Photo courtesy of Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire District, St. George News
Mercy Air helicopter lands on Northbound I-15 near Mesquite, Nevada on April 2, 2023 | Photo courtesy Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire District, St. George News
Two vehicles destroyed in fire after colliding on northbound I-15 near Mesquite, Nevada, April 2, 2023 | Photo Credit: Beaver Dam – Littlefield Fire District, St. George News
Mercy Air helicopter lands on Northbound I-15 near Mesquite, Nevada on April 2, 2023 | Photo courtesy Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire District, St. George News
A semi-tractor trailer is found overturned on southbound Interstate 15 near Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2, 2023 | Photo by St. George News
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