Updated 8:41 p.m.:
The Nebraska State Patrol says two North Carolina residents lost their lives in a two-vehicle crash Saturday.
NSP spokesman Cody Thomas says preliminary investigation found that around 5 p.m, a pickup pulling a car trailer was traveling at slow speeds in winter driving conditions westbound on I-80 near mile marker 3 when it was rear-ended by a Ford Expedition.
The driver of the Expedition, 37-year-old Samantha Elliott and 19-year-old passenger Angelina Elliott were pronounced deceased at the scene.
Another passenger received non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital in Kimball. The driver of the pickup was not injured.
The crash remains under investigation.
Original story:
Authorities say two people lost their lives in one of numerous crashes that took place Saturday evening on Interstate 80 in Kimball County.
According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, I-80 was closed westbound near Bushnell at mile marker 8 by 5:30 p.m. due to multiple accidents.
NDOT says the eastbound interstate was then closed at the same mile marker about 40 minutes later, as first responders from numerous agencies collisions on both sides of the freeway.
Kimball County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement that two people had been killed in one of the crashes, and the Nebraska State Patrol had yet to confirm names and hometowns as of noon Sunday.
Additional agencies that responded included the Bushnell and Kimball Fire Departments, Kimball EMS, and Kimball Police, as well as Wyoming Law Enforcement and Emergency Services.
Traffic was detoured to Highway 30 for the duration of the emergency response.
Eastbound I-80 was reopened to travel about two-and-a-half hours after it closed, while the westbound lanes remained closed until just before 10:30 p.m.
