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ELKO, Nev. (AP) -- A Utah man was among four people killed in an 18-vehicle collision on Interstate 80 in northeastern Nevada triggered by swirling dust and ash, authorities said Saturday.
The Nevada Highway Patrol identified the victims as John Honn, 42, of Vernal, Utah; Pete Mennicucci, 69, of Reno; and Ema Young, 72, of Las Vegas. The name of a second victim in Honn's truck rig still was being withheld Saturday pending notification of family members.
All four were pronounced dead at the scene.
Ten people were injured and taken to Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital in Elko. Of those, only two remained hospitalized Saturday and neither was in critical condition, NHP Sgt. Bob Sneed said.
High winds whipped through the scene of a recent wildfire along the interstate, creating a dust storm that blinded drivers, Sneed said.
An investigation continues into the Friday afternoon accident near Carlin, 25 miles west of Elko.
"We know it was a chain-reaction accident, but we're not exactly sure who it started with at this point," Sneed told The Associated Press. "We still have people to interview."
The 3:45 p.m. accident involved a total of 30 people who were riding in six big truck rigs and 12 passenger vehicles.
It brought eastbound traffic on I-80 to a standstill for about four hours. Eastbound motorists later were escorted in westbound lanes around the accident scene.
One eastbound travel lane was reopened at 6 a.m. Saturday, Sneed said, and the accident also delayed westbound traffic off and on all night as emergency vehicles moved through the crash scene.
None of the tractor-trailers involved in the accident was hauling hazardous materials, Sneed said.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
