A 32-year-old man died when he was struck by a car driven by an Alaska Dispatch News newspaper carrier near downtown Anchorage early Saturday morning, police said.
The incident occurred about 2:26 a.m. in the 1400 block of West 12th Avenue. Anita Shell, spokeswoman for the Anchorage Police Department, said the victim -- later identified by police as Christopher Thompson -- was in the roadway when he was struck, though it was not immediately clear if he was walking or lying down, she said.
"(The) driver simply did not see him," Shell said.
She said the driver, identified as Rommel Ramos, "felt a bump." His car, a 2002 Saturn sedan, became stuck in the road. When Ramos got out of the vehicle, he "discovered a body underneath his car," trapped under the axle, Shell said.
Ramos, who was delivering newspapers, started shouting for neighbors to help, Shell said. One of the neighbors called 911. After paramedics arrived and removed Thompson from beneath the car, he was declared dead at the scene.
No other information was immediately available Saturday afternoon.
No charges have been filed at this time. Ramos stayed on scene and cooperated with authorities, Shell said.
Roger Weinfurter, circulation director for Alaska Dispatch News, released the following statement Saturday evening:
"Our sympathies are with the victim's family as well as with delivery driver Rommel Ramos and his family. Our delivery contractors endeavor to maintain the highest safety standards. Ramos stayed on the scene in an effort to help the victim and, later, the police. We deeply regret this accident and will cooperate fully as the investigation continues."