News Release

California Highway Patrol
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Contact: Adam Otten, California Highway Patrol, 760-872-5150
Contact: Abby Wines, NPS, 760-786-3221
DEATH VALLEY, CA -- Seven people were injured and one woman lost her life in a two-car collision east of Death Valley National Park on CA-190 on the evening of December 20, 2019.
A 29-year-old male from Albuquerque was driving a 2018 Nissan Sentra eastbound when he came up behind a vehicle going about 50 miles per hour in a 65 mile per hour zone at about 5:27 pm. The driver of the Nissan attempted to pass the other vehicle and collided head-on with a 2018 Honda Accord driven by a 53-year-old male from Chandler, Arizona.
A passenger in the Honda succumbed to her injuries at the scene. One adult patient was flown to a trauma center in Las Vegas. Five other patients were transported by ambulances to hospitals.
The emergency response was a combined effort by California Highway Patrol, National Park Service, Caltrans, Southern Inyo Fire Department, and Mercy Air.