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NHP: 70 died in 2019 crashes on Southern Nevada highways

The Nevada Highway Patrol said Thursday that 70 people died in fatal crashes last year in its Southern Command jurisdiction.

The number of deaths in the area patrolled by the Southern Command was down slightly from the previous year, when 77 people perished, according to the NHP.

But the agency said in a statement that this is “no time for celebration.”

“One life lost on our roadways is too many and as we all know by now, almost every single traffic fatality is preventable,” the statement said,

The Highway Patrol said causes of fatal crashes continue to be evenly distributed among speed, impairment and failing to wear seat belts.

“Our community needs to continue to always buckle up, drive sober, drive the speed limit and put the phones down while driving,” the Highway Patrol said.

Las Vegas police, meanwhile, reported at least 114 traffic fatalities in 2019.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.

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