2 Medevacked After Head-On Crash Near Airport Runway
Wednesday, January 08 2014
A flatbed and a pickup truck had a head-on collision near the airport Wednesday. /Courtesy: Mike Holman, UDPS
A head-on collision next to the airport runway injured four people Wednesday morning. Two were medevacked to Anchorage.
Public Safety director Jamie Sunderland says the crash happened just after 10:30 a.m. on Ballyhoo Road at the end of the runway. He says a flatbed slid head-on into a pickup truck.
Sunderland says black ice on the road appears to have caused the crash.
The male driver of the flatbed was medevacked to Anchorage as a precaution, as was one man in the pickup truck. Two others in the pickup truck -- a man and a woman -- were taken to the Iliuliuk Family & Health Services clinic. Sunderland didn’t know details of their injuries.
The crash did damage to both vehicles, and Sunderland says the pickup truck is probably totaled.
Traffic was held up in all directions for about half an hour as first responders got the patients out of the vehicles. Sunderland says police, fire, EMS, state troopers, the ports division and the Department of Transportation were all on scene.
The airport is operating normally and wasn’t impacted by the crash.
State of Alaska DOT lacks common sense on Friday, January 10 2014:
Incidentally, this may or may not be a factor in this accident. The State of Alaska put up a 30 MPH sign right before that blind curve and a stop sign.
Common Sense on Thursday, January 09 2014:
It's winter, it's cold, slow down around curves and in general because it gets icy EVERY SINGLE WINTER! If you can't seem to slow down during when you should you should forfeit your license, it's not the City's fault, nor black ice's fault, it's the driver who didn't slow down. SLOW DOWN IN THE WINTER.
Really?? on Thursday, January 09 2014:
The roads are being taken care of you jerk. What can be done about black ice? Gravel and salt? Yeah, both are on the roads. And nothing can be done to control the traffic when responders are hard at work trying to safely remove the people in an accident.
Really?? on Thursday, January 09 2014:
Maybe you should get your facts straight about the people involved in the crash and their medical conditions before you post an article that isn't correct. Precaution, really? I think not.
Why dirt roads are safer and easier to maintain on Thursday, January 09 2014:
Everyone wants paved roads so they can drive faster and not jiggle their bellies on the bumpy dirt roads...Downside is black ice - Upside is the medivac company will get a lot more business. Dirt roads are safer and easier to maintain - but paved roads represent progress and that's all the people care about...not safety or simplicity