Different angles of a crash from earlier this week in Reno in the Locust and Mill area.
The local headlines from today are staggering: a pedestrian killed in a crash near Walgreens this morning, a pedestrian killed by a pickup truck in Sun Valley last month just identified, a pedestrian killed in a November crash at University Way just identified, a driver who spun out of control and was killed last month on Mt. Rose Highway also just identified, all reported in the past few hours.
Every day there are crashes and backups, some deadly, some causing serious injuries, many causing people to be late for work, activities or pickups. Several bicyclists have been killed in our area. Multiple local gofundmes have been started in recent weeks for crash related injuries and funerals.
The repeated crashes have residents questioning their safety every time they drive or cycle or even walk across a roadway.
As a student reporter working on this story, I myself have experienced frustration and fear on local roadways.
Picture this: I am driving on North McCarran, intersecting Pyramid Highway as I do everyday. As I’m driving in my silver Toyota Camry, listening to some Tame Impala , I’ve been stuck in gridlock traffic once again, not moving for about 10 minutes just to barely inch forward, with police lights flashing up ahead, yet again.
I pass a rear-end collision as I see both cars damaged and surrounded by police. I hope no one is injured.
Following a public record information request, according to recorded Reno traffic accidents sent in by Kevin Tice from the Nevada Department of Public Safety, there were a total of 2,011 car crashes resulting in injury or death in 2024 just within Reno limits, with 1,964 resulting in injury and 47 resulting in death.
So far in 2025, while there has been a slight decrease in fatal car crashes so far compared to last year in the Biggest Little City, the number of crashes resulting in injury increased to 2,098.
Locals interviewed for this report and a video I made expressed concerns with overpopulation, reckless driving, poor lighting, a lack of penalties for bad drivers and several dangerous areas with repeated crashes.
John Mandell, the division chief at the Reno Fire Department, says that out of the 50,000 calls made to the Reno Fire Department this year, around 3,500 were for car crashes.
Mandell urges local drivers to call 911 if on the scene of a car crash, pull to the right if an emergency vehicle is behind them, and of course pay attention when driving.
In the latest grim identification reports from today, the driver of a 2010 Subaru Outback, Sanchez Soto, 51, was identified as a man killed when a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban was traveling eastbound on Mount Rose Highway and struck the side of the Subaru on November 16th. Jennifer Nelson, 51, was identified as the pedestrian killed at University Way on November 17th. Daysi Montoya-Salazar of Reno was identified as the woman killed by a pickup truck in a crosswalk in Sun Valley last month.
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