One dies, five injured in three-car collision on Echo Summit
Submitted by paula on Fri, 07/23/2021 - 4:52pm
UPDATE 7.27.21: The deceased woman has been identified as Ms. Meriem Amimi out of Sparks, Nev.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - One person died and several suffered major injuries in a three-vehicle head-on collision on Echo Summit Thursday that closed lanes of the highway for over two hours.
At 5:14 p.m. July 22, 2021, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was called to US50 east of Tamarack Pines Road. They found one car in two pieces, one vehicle on fire, and several injuries.
CHP has finished their initial report. According to that report, a 2006 Saturn Vue driven by a female from Sparks, Nevada was heading west in an aggressive manner. Witnesses said the driver was passing others unsafely and traveling at a high rate of speed. She lost control of the Saturn while speeding and crossed into the opposing eastbound lane of US-50, directly into the path of a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox driven by a 20-year-old male from Citrus Heights, Calif.
The Saturn was torn in two pieces as a result of the collision with the Chevrolet. One of the half pieces of the car and the fully ejected driver of the Saturn collided with a 2013 Toyota Corolla that was eastbound behind the Chevrolet.
The driver of the Saturn succumbed to her injuries at the scene. The driver and four occupants of the Chevrolet, all age 20 or under, were transported from the scene by emergency medical personnel with major injuries. Four went to Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe, one to Renown Medical Center in Reno.
The driver of the Toyota, a Vacaville resident, was transported from the scene by family.
The Chevrolet caught fire briefly and was put out by concerned citizens who stopped to help. The lanes of US-50 were blocked for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Impairment does not seem to be a factor in this collision, according to the CHP.
The age and name of the deceased has not yet been released.
CHP Officer Ruth Loehr said this is the third fatality the South Lake Tahoe office has responded to on area roads since April. She said its been very unusual as all three fatalities were female.