Crash with nine vehicles causes major I-15 delay

At least one person was critically injured Saturday in a crash involving two semitrucks and seven passenger vehicles on southbound Interstate 15 near Primm.

The crash was reported just after 8:10 a.m., causing a freeway closure in both directions for about an hour before northbound lanes reopened about 9:15 a.m., and southbound lanes began reopening in the afternoon.

Crews were still on the scene as late as Saturday evening cleaning up the crash.

Shortly before the crash, the California Highway Patrol had shut down southbound traffic on I-15 just south of Primm for a vehicle pursuit, creating heavy traffic congestion.

Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman Jason Buratczuk said Saturday afternoon that the vehicle involved in the pursuit did not cause the crash.

The chain reaction of crashes that happened during traffic congestion was later caused by a semitruck who “failed to yield” to the slowed traffic, Buratczuk said.

The driver of the semitruck was flown to University Medical Center in critical condition, he said, while another driver was driven to the hospital with unknown injuries.

Buratczuk said 25 to 35 gallons of diesel fuel had spilled onto the highway during the crash.

“Diesel takes a long time to clean up,” he said, “and it’s very slick.”