Woman recuperating at home after April 23 wrong-way collision

The Montanucci sisters were on their way home from Reno around 4 a.m. when they were struck by a wrong-way driver on Highway 395 about a quarter-mile north of Airport Road.

Fallon Montanucci, 22, was born Dec. 3, 1999, and grew up in Carson Valley where she was a lifelong member of St Gall Catholic Church.

A 2018 graduate from Douglas High School and Western Nevada College, she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2019, and was home on leave from Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. Before graduating, Fallon was a member of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Explorers and was assigned to the air base’s security forces.

A celebration of life is 10 a.m. Friday at St. Gall. She will be buried with military honors at East Side Memorial Park. 

On May 21, the Knights of Columbus will host a spaghetti feed to benefit the Montanucci family 4-7 p.m. at the St. Gall Pastoral Center.

Tickets are $15 or $40 for a family of four or more. A donation box will be available. All proceeds will go to the Montanucci Family. Tickets are available after all masses and at the door on the day of the benefit.

Donations can be made in Fallon’s memory to any local veteran’s organization or the Douglas County Animal Shelter, according to her obituary.

An account has been set up in the name of the Montanucci Sisters at El Dorado Savings Bank, 1517 Highway 395, Gardnerville. Donors may contribute at any branch.

According to the preliminary investigation, the driver of the Ford F-150 pickup was northbound in the highway’s southbound fast lane.

The Montanucci sisters were southbound in a 2017 Hyundai Accent when the collision occurred about a quarter mile north of the junction with Airport Road.

Impairment and speeding are suspected, according to the Nevada State Police.

On Monday, the Nevada State Police confirmed that the at-fault driver’s name won’t be released until charges are filed in the collision.

The driver remains hospitalized with injuries as a result of the collision.

This crash is being investigated by the Nevada State Police Northern Command West Multi-Disciplinary Investigation and Reconstruction Team. Anyone with information about this crash is asked to send an email to ncwmirt@dps.state.nv.us and refer to case No. 220401626.