crashes

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) has been awarded a $86,126 grant to combat recognized traffic issues in the city limits including DUI, pedestrian, and motorcycle enforcement.

The safety of everyone traveling is the focus of the grant with efforts to reduce deaths and injuries on South Lake Tahoe roads and to improve traffic analysis, reporting, and data collection.

The one-year grant is for the 2021 federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021.

Nearly six teen drivers are involved in a fatal car crash every day in the United
States. Inexperience combined with driver distraction increases the risk for error, making motor vehicle crashes the leading cause of death for young drivers in the nation. To reduce teen distracted driving, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has partnered with Impact Teen Drivers (ITD) to teach positive habits and behaviors to our most vulnerable drivers through education and enforcement.

The Nevada Department of Transportation is inviting Nevada drivers to submit contest entries for creative traffic safety messages to be displayed on electronic freeway signs.

Last year, nearly 285 individuals were killed in Nevada traffic crashes. With over 90% of U.S. crashes caused in part by driver behavior, the message boards are an important driving safety reminder.

5:00 p.m. Update: Expect a snowy night and slow-moving over roads in the Sierra. Chains controls on US50 are now up starting in Cedar Grove, west of Pollock Pines, at Pioneer on SR88, and above Gold Run on I80.

At this hour, traffic is at a standstill on I80 after multiple spinouts and crashes all the way to the California-Nevada state line.

CHP is also reporting some issues on US50 west of Echo Summit with two spots were cars are off the roadway, as well as SR88 near Christmas Valley.

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) will be working on State Route 431, the Mt. Rose Highway, from August 28 to mid-October to improve roadside guardrail and resurface sections of the roadway.

The daytime work will require them to have intermittent lane closures from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on small sections of the highway in Incline Village and the northern side of Mt. Rose Summit. Though they expect drivers to have short delays, motorists should anticipate maximum travel delays of up to 30 minutes.

A semi truck going down the valley side of Kingsbury Grade apparently lost its brakes just above Hussman Meadow about halfway down about noon on Tuesday.

According to a witness driving behind the truck, the driver of the commercial vehicle was riding his brakes and they were smoking, and that he was taking the corners too fast.

The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) is investigating the incident.

The driver of the truck was transported to Renown Medical Center in Reno with a laceration to his head.

The road was reduced to one lane during the incident but has now reopened.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - Roadside parking restrictions on US50 south of the Cave Rock tunnel will soon be enhanced by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT).

Even though vehicles and trailers have been parking in the median just outside the entrance to the Cave Rock State Park, it is illegal to do so. NDOT will be adding signage to the area to alert those who are parking illegally.

Even with the increase in anti-distracted driving campaigns, abusers of this law are on the rise according to data received during the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April.

During April, 19,850 citations were issued to drivers who violated California’s hands-free cell phone laws. This is a 3.6 percent increase from April 2018.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - During the storm that hit Lake Tahoe on Saturday, February 9, several drivers decided to ignore closure signs on the Mt. Rose Highway and proceed without complying to chain requirements on the open portions. These vehicles became stuck in the heavy snowfall or stopped due to zero visibility white-out conditions, leading rescuers into what they call "life-threatening conditions."

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is joining the Nevada Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies in the state to emphasize the importance of safe and sober driving during the Labor Day Holiday weekend and beginning of September.

The enforcement began on August 25 and ends on Monday, September 10.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will dedicate extra officers to DUI enforcement as part of a statewide JOINING FORCES campaign aimed at reducing tragedies caused by people driving under the influence.

The California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Valley Division and Golden Gate Divisions, having jurisdiction over the Sacramento regions and San Francisco Bay Area, are partnering with the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) to participate in an “I-80 Challenge.”

This effort aims to reduce distracted and reckless driving along the 615 miles of Interstate 80 from San Francisco, Calif. to the Nevada/Utah Stateline from Monday, August 27 – Labor Day, September 3, 2018, by enhancing traffic safety, enforcement, and education along this section of the National Highway System.

A day on the lake is a dream come true for many, but for two South Lake Tahoe Police Department officers it's another day at the office. As they navigate Lake Tahoe they are looking for speeders, unsafe practices, life vests, drunk boaters and boat registrations, as well as responding to life threatening crashes and drownings.

"It's our little city out here," explained Steve O'Brien who has manned the South Lake Tahoe police boat for 17 summers.

The intersection of State Route 88 at Centerville Lane will receive a compact traffic roundabout, and construction on it begins Monday, April 23.

From April 23 to 27, daytime lane closures from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. will take place with a pilot car leading traffic in alternating directions through the intersection. An approximately 10-day full closure of the SR 88 and Centerville Lane intersection will then begin Monday, April 30 at 10:00 a.m., with nearby detour available via Mottsville Lane and Foothill Road.

A blast of winter is headed to Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada and the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) is reminding motorists that one of the most important factors to consider when driving in inclement weather is SPEED.

Over the past several weeks the NHP has responded to countless crashes on Nevada Highways as a result of driving in less than idea driving conditions. Many of those crashes involved multiple vehicles and all were preventable.

A common violation during inclement weather is “Speed Too Fast For Conditions”.

The Nevada Departments of Transportation and Public Safety are reminding Nevadans to share the road after Nevada pedestrian traffic deaths rose in 2017 amid a decline in overall statewide traffic deaths.

In 2017, Douglas County had a rise in all deaths on the road: Fatal crashes up from 5 to 9, fatalities up from 5 to 11, alcohol fatal crashes up from 1 to 2, and number of fatalities in those crashes up from 1 to 3.

Those arrested for DUI in El Dorado County, especially repeat offenders and those involved in fatal or injury crashes, can expect to face highly trained, specialized prosecutors, funded by a $195,677.00 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The grant to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office will fund a Vertical Prosecution team that will work cases from arrest through conviction and sentencing.

There was a fatal motorcycle crash on U.S. 50 about a mile east of Spooner Summit just before noon Saturday, September 30.

The east bound lane was closed for about three hours as emergency personnel responded to the scene and conducted an investigation. Their cars surrounded the victim, keeping passerby from seeing the scene.

The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) said it was a single vehicle crash and speed is believed to be a factor.

The accident happened about 11:54 a.m. No other details were available.

Two separate minor crashes on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe Sunday caused some delays for drivers, but no major injuries were reported.

A driver near Glenbrook on Highway 50 was involved in a single-car rollover, causing damage to the SUV but only minor injuries.

In a second accident, not paying attention to the road ahead resulted in a collision at Marla Bay on Highway 50. Minor injuries in this crash as well.

Both crashes were cleared up fairly quickly.

No other information was made available by the Nevada Highway Patrol.

On US50 approximately five miles east of Dayton, a Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) Trooper was involved in a fatal crash at 2:40 p.m. on Monday, June 5. One person was confirmed deceased on scene. The Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper was transported via CareFlight to Renown with serious, but not life-threatening injuries.

The deceased victim of the crash is an adult male, according to a witness on-scene who performed CPR on him before paramedics arrived. His name has not been released. Family is being notified.

One doesn't have to be a fan of professional cycling to enjoy the first two stages of the Amgen Breakwaway From Heart Disesase Women's Race Empowered with SRAM in South Lake Tahoe. People lined the streets Thursday as racers went on a trip around the lake with both the start and finish lines at Heavenly Mountain Resort, and the same is expected on Friday.

American Megan Guarnier won stage 1 with a time of 3 hours, 3 minutes and 48 seconds to make the 117 km (72.7 mile) trip. The former Bay Area resident is on the Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team out of Holland.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) responded to a five car collision Sunday, February 26 on Pioneer Trail near Woodbine Road at 9:00 a.m.

One car was stopped, attempting to make a turn onto Woodbine from Pioneer trail when an oncoming driver behind them hit their brakes, couldn't stop on the icy road and went over the guardrail.

As other drivers came upon the accident, they too crashed. The final car involved was looking at the car over the guardrail and didn't see the crash in front of her, swerved, hit the guardrail and slipped.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - There are basic rules when behind the wheel, not only in fair weather, but also in stormy and snowy weather as South Lake Tahoe has been experiencing.

Here are tips for driving in snow from the American Automobile Association (AAA):
- Accelerate and decelerate slowly
- Drive slowly
- The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds
- Know your brakes
- Don't stop if you can avoid it
- Don't power up hills. ...
- Don't stop going up a hill
- Stay home

Deaths caused by drunk drivers had decreased during the past three decades due to increased awareness, education and more choices of sober drivers, but authorities are seeing a rise in 2016. Over 10,000 people died in 2015 after someone chose to drink and drive.

New Year's Day is the single deadliest day for drunk driving and accidents caused by drunk drivers. The 12-hour window between 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 6 a.m. on Jan. 1 tends to have about 71 percent more crashes where alcohol or drugs are listed as a contributing factor.

Nevada's Department of Transportation, Highway Patrol, City of South Lake Tahoe and Caltrans all had words of advice for travelers this holiday weekend. Roads will be full of cars, and the added threat of high winds and a snow storm will create issues for those not prepared on the road.