NDOT Statement

This morning, a Nevada Department of Transportation maintenance worker was tragically shot multiple times and injured by a passing motorist while working to resurface State Route 278 near Eureka. According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, the team member was flown from the scene to an area hospital where he remains in stable condition at this time. State Route 278 was shut down from Eureka to Carlin for several hours while the Nevada Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies pursued the suspect, who received a gunshot wound and later succumbed to his injuries.   NDOT has more than 800 highway maintenance experts statewide dedicated to keeping Nevada highways safe and clear. Safety is NDOT’s top priority, and any fatal or serious injury on Nevada roads is truly a tragedy. For NDOT, that is never more true than when an incident involves an NDOT team member working to keep highways open and safe for Nevada drivers.    “All of us at NDOT were heartbroken to learn about the tragic shooting of one of our valued team members,” said Kristina Swallow, Director of the Nevada Department of Transportation. “I want to wish our team member a speedy recovery, and I want to thank the law enforcement agencies and medical professionals for responding quickly to the scene and providing first aid.”   As of this media release, State Route 278 remains closed from US-50 to the Eureka/Elko County line. NDOT will update the public once State Route 278 re-opens. Highway updates: nvroads.com  

The following press release is from Nevada Highway Patrol.  

On Wednesday June 16, 2021, at approximately 9:56 AM Pacific Time, a Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) Trooper was traveling northbound on State Route 278 near mile marker 68 in Eureka County, in an active work zone. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) was repaving sections of State Route 278 and was utilizing a pilot car to relay traffic through the work zone.

As the Trooper approached the north end of the road closure, he observed a white Ram cargo van traveling southbound on State Route 278 at a high rate of speed on the outside dirt shoulder. The Trooper subsequently learned that the driver of the Ram van had fired multiple shots at a Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) employee, striking him several times. The Trooper provided medical aid and then traveled southbound in an attempt to locate the vehicle.

Additional Troopers, as well as Deputies from the Eureka County Sheriff’s Office, located the vehicle approximately 35 miles north of Eureka. The vehicle was successfully disabled with a tire deflation device and ultimately stopped at mile marker 27, north of Garden Pass. As the suspect exited the vehicle, he began firing at law enforcement. After an hours-long standoff, and with the assistance of numerous law enforcement agencies, the suspect was located near the van, suffering from a gunshot wound. The adult male suspect was transported from the scene and succumbed to his injuries a short time later. The Nevada Department of Transportation employee was flown from the scene to an area hospital where he remains in stable condition at this time. There were no other individuals injured in this incident.

As of this media release, State Route 278 remains closed from US-50 to the Eureka/Elko County line. There are no outstanding suspects and there is no risk to the public. Additional details, as well as the identity of the suspect, will be released in the coming days.