Names released of victims in fatal accident

Updated Jan. 8 7:30am:

Names of the people involved in the New Year’s Day fatal accident on Mt. Rose Highway have been released.

Hugo Soto-Barrios, 40, died in the accident. He was a passenger in the vehicle riven by Manuel Mejia-Verduzco, 34.

Nevada Highway Patrol troopers found Mejia-Verduzco in his apartment, after he had fled the scene on foot. He was hiding in the bathroom suffering from a broken left arm and broken left leg. He was transported to Renown Medical Center in Reno; once released he was booked into jail on charges of driving left of center, hit and run with a death, hit and run with injury, failure to give aid and information, and no valid driver’s license.

The vehicle driven by Mejia-Verduzco crossed the center line, hitting an SUV driving by 27-year-old Irma Gouadarram of Sparks, according to the NHP. She was transported via ambulance to Renown with non-life threatening injuries and was released from the hospital the next morning.

Her passengers, Norea Maria Pelayo-Garcia, 45, and Anna Acosta, 38, both of Sparks, remained at Renown on Jan. 6 in serious condition, but are recovering from their injuries, according to the NHP.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report