Man dies after crashing into bridge abutment

Update: The Nevada Highway Patrol says 78 year-old William Thomas Stephens of Carson City died in the accident on Saturday.

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A 78-year-old man fatally crashed into the concrete bridge abutment on Interstate 580 Saturday morning, in the southbound lanes, just north of College Parkway.

A green Infiniti was driving north on southbound I-580, around 8:32 a.m., when it hit the bridge abutment, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Because the man was driving the wrong direction in the freeway, he was able to hit the exposed bridge strut.

How and where the man entered the freeway in the wrong direction is unknown at this time.

Anyone with information about the crash is encouraged to contact Trooper Doug Hildebrand with the Major Accident Investigation Team at 775-689-4623 regarding accident #130208271 or to contact the Department of Public Safety communication center at 775-687-0400.

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A 16-year-old Minden resident hit a marked NHP patrol car on U.S. Highway 395 Friday morning, around 2:58 a.m., just north of Minden.

The blue Honda drifted off the pavement, hitting the south-facing patrol car, parked five feet from the highway. Both the trooper and the driver were transported to Carson Valley Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries. Anyone with information about the crash should contact the Department of Public Safety Communications Center at (775) 687-0400 regarding case number NHP 130207719.