NEVADA – The tight-knit community of Carson City is in mourning following a devastating crash that claimed the life of a 14-year-old sophomore from Carson High School. Darius Banko, who knew the girl well, paid a heartfelt visit to her makeshift memorial on Monday, expressing his deep grief.

Describing the girl, Banko said, “She’s super fun to be around. Super sweet girl. And I loved her like a sister.”

Sadly, this incident marks another tragic car-related fatality in the area recently. Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong expressed the community’s devastation, stating, “In the past two weeks, we have lost two children in the Carson area, Lyon County area to highway or roadway vehicle-pedestrian accidents. This is just, it’s devastating the community.”

Shortly before 6 p.m. on Sunday, the teenage girl and her boyfriend were crossing N. Carson Street at the intersection with Nye Street when a driver over 70 years old struck her with his car, narrowly missing her boyfriend.

As of Monday, authorities have not determined the cause of the crash. However, local drivers often point to the poor lighting at that particular intersection as a potential contributing factor.

“At night, there’s no lights. You know, you can’t see the person that’s crossing,” said concerned driver David Romato.

Another local driver, Mark Miller, added, “[The intersection] really needs another light.”

Interestingly, there are already two streetlights at the intersection, one on each side of the road. The Carson City Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the lights were on at the time of the accident.

However, Sheriff Furlong emphasized that the presence of streetlights does not guarantee visibility for drivers during darker hours. “Those streetlights do not ensure that a driver is going to be able to see a person after dusk into the dark hours,” he noted.

The Carson City Department of Public Works is currently working on a citywide safety improvement plan to address the high number of fatal crashes, including those at this intersection. It remains uncertain whether increased lighting will be part of the plan or what other improvements are being considered.

Reflecting on the situation, Miller, who has witnessed the intersection’s dangers for decades, remarked, “This intersection has been bad for 40 years. I grew up in this town, and it’s just nasty. I don’t even take this intersection.”

According to the sheriff’s office, it may take several weeks before investigators determine fault or any charges that the driver could potentially face. The driver is cooperating with law enforcement and remained at the scene on Sunday to assist with the investigation.

Credits: Fox Reno