Victims identified in fatal crashes

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

The Nevada Highway Patrol has released the names of six people who were killed in three fatal crashes in the past week near Fernley.

On Monday June 25, a Winnemucca woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 near the west Fernley exit at mile marker 46.

Cynthia Ann Whitten, 55, was killed when her vehicle crashed down an embankment and overturned. At approximately 5:50 a.m., Nevada Highway Patrol Troopers responded to an injury crash in Lyon County. The crash involved a sedan that had crashed in the center median area of the interstate.

NHP says the preliminary investigation shows that a silver 2006 Hyundai Sonata sedan was traveling westbound on Interstate 80 towards Reno. The Hyundai entered onto the inside shoulder. The vehicle then drove into the center median, down an embankment and overturned. Whitten was pronounced dead at the scene. An adult female passenger was transported to an area hospital and released later that day. Both occupants were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.

If you were a witness to this incident, or have any information regarding this collision, please contact Trooper Chris Kelly of the Nevada Highway Patrol Multi-Disciplinary Investigation and Reconstruction Team (M.I.R.T.) at 775-687-9649 or ckelly@dps.state.nv.us NHP Case #180602255.

On Saturday, June 30, Jeffrey Kevin Gerlach, 63, of Bella Vista, Calif. was killed in a single-vehicle crash on State Route 445 at the junction with State Route 446 near Pyramid Lake.

Troopers responded to that crash at approximately 11 a.m. and found that a gold 2008 Dodge minivan traveling northbound on State Route 445 had veered off the roadway onto the southbound shoulder, where it continued off the paved roadway until its wheels became lodged in the sandy soil.

Both passerbys and first responders performed lifesaving efforts on the driver until an ambulance arrived. Gerlach was transported by ambulance to Northern Nevada Medical Center in Sparks, where he was pronounced dead.

There were no other occupants in the vehicle. Impairment is not suspected.

If you were a witness, or have any information regarding this incident, please contact Sergeant Karen Garretson at (775) 687-9618 or kgarretson@dps.state.nv.us NHP Case #180602818.

On Saturday June 30, four people were killed in a head-on collision on Interstate 80 westbound at mile marker 29 (three miles west of USA Parkway).

At approximately 11:50 p.m., troopers responded to multiple reports of a wrong-way driver on Interstate 80, traveling eastbound in the westbound travel lanes. At approximately 11:54 p.m., Nevada DPS Dispatch was advised of a crash involving the wrong way driver.

NHP reports that its preliminary investigation shows that a silver 1999 Chrysler Concorde sedan was traveling eastbound in the left-hand travel lane of westbound Interstate 80. A blue 2006 Honda Civic coupe was traveling westbound on Interstate 80 towards Sparks in the left-hand travel lane.

The wrong-way Chrysler sedan struck the Honda coupe head-on in the westbound travel lane. The driver of the Chrysler Concorde, John Wilfred Steinfeld, 85, of Reno, and the driver of the Honda Civic, Fidel Enriquez, 22, of Fallon, both died of the injuries they sustained in the crash and were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two rear passengers in the Honda Civic, Hugo Sanchez Solorio, 24, of Fallon and Pedro Barajas-Martinez, 21, of Fallon, were also pronounced dead at the scene.

The right front passenger of the Honda was transported with life threatening injuries and remains in critical condition. The left rear passenger was transported with non-life threatening injuries.

NHP reports that both drivers and three of the four passengers in the Honda coupe were not properly restrained. One occupant inside the Honda was wearing their seat belt properly.

Both westbound travel lanes were shut down during the investigation. Traffic was rerouted on USA Parkway until the roadway was fully reopened at 4:30 a.m.

If you were a witness to this incident, or have any information regarding this collision, please contact Sergeant Karen Garretson of the Nevada Highway Patrol Multi-Disciplinary Investigation and Reconstruction Team (M.I.R.T.) at (775) 687-9618 or kgarretson@dps.state.nv.us NHP Case #180602868.