Two Local Teens Killed In Auto Accident On I-15

An auto accident took the lives of two teenage girls, and critically injured another, on Tuesday, June 10. The accident occurred on Interstate 15 just north of mile marker 120 in Mesquite, Nevada.

The two victims were Lysha Marshall and Heather Wallace, both of Logandale. The girls were upcoming seniors at Moapa Valley High School.

The accident took place at 10:20 a.m. as a

According to witness accounts, the tread on the vehicle’s left rear tire began to separate and quickly came off causing the vehicle to swerve out of control and to roll into the center median, finally coming to rest back on its tires. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.

“That’s consistent with what we saw, and with what we’ve seen in other accidents,” said Deputy Chief Dave Peterson of Mesquite Fire and Rescue.

Peterson explained that Mesquite Stations 1 and 3 responded to the scene. “They found two dead at the scene and three others who needed emergency medical treatment,” he said.

Both deceased girls were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident, according to NHP. Wallace, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was the only occupant that NHP has confirmed was ejected from the vehicle. “We are unclear if the seatbelt was being worn properly, but we can confirm the seatbelt was fastened,” stated NHP Public Information Officer Kevin Honea. Marshall was seated in the rear seat just behind Wallace.

A third girl in the car, Carolynn Becker, received critical injuries in the accident and was transported by helicopter to UMC Hospital in Las Vegas. She underwent surgery for her injuries on Tuesday afternoon and remains in the hospital’s intensive care unit where her condition has since stabilized and continues to improve.

Becker was seated in the middle rear seat. “It is still unknown whether this occupant was ejected from the vehicle,” stated Honea. Reports at the scene were conflicting on this matter, Honea said. It was also uncertain whether Becker was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. But Honea said that these things will probably be determined by the ongoing investigation.

The fourth youth in the vehicle was Ashley Potter, who was seated in the rear seat just behind the driver. Potter and Whipple were both treated for minor injuries at Mesa View Regional Hospital and released the same day. Both were wearing seatbelts.

The speed of the vehicle has not yet been determined. But Honea reported that “the damage to the vehicle is consistent with the posted speed limit”. He also stated that the speed workup is part of the ongoing investigation which could continue for as long as three months.

Honea explained that low or high tire pressure is a major cause of blowouts and encourages drivers to check vehicle tire pressures on a regular basis.