RENO, NV — Three people were killed late Friday night in a wrong-way crash on South McCarran Boulevard after an SUV driven by a woman crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with another vehicle. Reno police said the crash happened at 11:50 p.m. between Sierra Madre Drive and Rio Poco Road.
Investigators said the driver of the SUV was headed the wrong way when the collision occurred. The other car carried a man and a woman, and all three people involved died from their injuries. Police have not released the names of the victims.
Reno police say alcohol appears to be a factor
Reno Police investigators said alcohol appears to have played a role in the crash. They did not immediately provide additional details about the circumstances that led the SUV into the wrong-way lanes or say whether any other vehicles were involved.
The collision remains under investigation. At this point, police have not said whether charges will be filed or identified the woman driving the SUV. The agency’s description of alcohol as a possible factor suggests investigators are still piecing together the final moments before impact.
Crash shut down the boulevard for about five hours
South McCarran Boulevard was closed for roughly five hours while officers investigated the fatal wreck and worked at the scene. The road reopened Saturday morning after the investigation was completed enough for traffic to resume.
For drivers in Reno, the closure likely affected a key east-west route used to connect neighborhoods and commercial areas. Police did not say whether the road damage, debris field, or investigative needs caused the full duration of the shutdown, but the lengthy closure underscores how serious the collision was.
What police have confirmed so far about the victims
Authorities said the crash involved two vehicles and that the people who died were a woman in the SUV and the man and woman in the other car. No further identifying information has been released, and police have not said whether the victims were local residents or visitors.
Because the investigation is still active, Reno police have withheld names while notifying families and reviewing the scene. That means many basic questions remain unanswered, including the age of the victims and the sequence of events immediately before the collision.
Wrong-way crashes can turn deadly in seconds
Wrong-way crashes often leave little margin for evasive action because drivers meet oncoming traffic at high speed and with almost no warning. In this case, police said the SUV was traveling the wrong direction before hitting the other car, which helped explain why the outcome was fatal for everyone involved.
The collision also highlights how quickly impairment can magnify the danger on multi-lane roads. Reno police have not provided a timeline for any toxicology testing or additional findings, but the mention of alcohol indicates investigators will likely focus on impairment as they determine exactly what happened.
South McCarran Boulevard reopens after overnight investigation
By Saturday morning, the roadway was open again after hours of police work, evidence collection and traffic control. The reopening marked the end of the immediate disruption, but the crash scene still left behind three deaths and an active investigation.
Officials have not said when they expect to release more information. For now, the fatal wreck stands as one of the most serious traffic incidents reported in Reno recently, with investigators continuing to examine how a late-night drive turned into a triple fatal crash.
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