Update, Feb. 7: Alaska State Troopers said two people, not one, died in a head-on collision Jan. 20 on the Parks Highway. They identified them as Fairbanks residents 26-year-old Destiny Wood and 22-year-old Marcus Taylor. Wood was a passenger in the pickup and Taylor was the driver, a troopers spokesman said. Troopers were initially only able to confirm one fatality due to the burned state of the vehicle, he said. The State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that there were two sets of remains and identified both people.
Original story: One person was killed in a head-on collision on the Parks Highway south of Cantwell on Saturday afternoon, Alaska State Troopers said.
Troopers were notified of a collision near Mile 183 of the Parks Highway at about 1:20 p.m., according to an online report. They responded along with emergency medical services.
An investigation showed that a pickup entered the oncoming travel lane and collided with a semi-truck. Both vehicles caught fire.
The driver of the pickup died at the scene, troopers said. Officials will release the driver’s identity after an autopsy, identification and notifying next of kin, the report said.
“The driver, and sole occupant, of the semi-truck, received non-life-threatening injuries and was medevaced from the scene to a hospital for treatment,” the report said. The semi-truck driver was also not identified by the officials.
The Parks Highway was closed for 5 hours and 15 minutes after the crash while troopers documented and cleared the scene.