Two drivers in Sen. Harry Reid’s caravan cited in crash

Two drivers who were part of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's caravan caused the multi-vehicle highway crash last week that sent the 72-year-old Democrat from Nevada to the hospital with minor injuries.

The Nevada Highway Patrol released a 14-page report Thursday night on last week's chain-reaction crash on Interstate 15 northbound at Sahara Avenue.

The report said Michael William Percival of Washington, D.C., who was behind the wheel of a 2011 Ford Expedition, caused the crash after following a vehicle too closely.

Percival was cited for an unsafe lane change, the report said.

Another driver in Reid's motorcade, Cory J. Mikkelson of Las Vegas, who was driving a Ford F-250 pickup registered to the Metropolitan Police Department, also was cited for following too closely.

In all, four of the six vehicles that collided were driven by members of Reid's motorcade, the Highway Patrol said.

Jesus Manuel Macias of Las Vegas was the only civilian whose name was reported in the crash. Macias was driving a 2000 Ford Explorer.

Highway Patrol trooper Loy Hixson said Thursday night that a semi-truck that also was part of the collision left the scene and that investigators were never able to track down the driver.

Reid was in a 2012 Chevrolet Suburban driven by Melvin Eugene Proctor Jr. There were two other passengers in the Suburban, the report said.

After the 1:10 p.m. crash, Reid was rushed to the emergency room at University Medical Center by his security detail.

He was released from UMC about two hours after the pileup.

Officials with his office said he suffered rib and hip contusions but was otherwise unhurt.

They also said some of his staff and security detail had minor injures.

Dozens of investigators kept at least two northbound lanes of the busy freeway closed for 4½ hours, snarling traffic through the afternoon as they combed the site "for every detail" and conducted "forensic diagramming" to reconstruct the mishap, the Highway Patrol said.

Before the Oct. 26 accident, Reid had delivered the keynote address at the dedication of the National Atomic Testing Museum near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus.

He was traveling to editorial board meetings at Spanish-language newspapers when the accident occurred, his office said.

According to the accident report, the vehicles involved included one U.S. Capitol Police vehicle, two Las Vegas police vehicles, one U.S. General Services Administration vehicle and two private vehicles.

Despite being bruised and sore, the five-term senator appeared as planned the night of Oct. 26 at a celebration of life honoring community leader Robert Forbuss at The Smith Center.

Hixson said the investigation into the crash is complete.

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.