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Girdwood Man, 39, Killed In Seward Highway Collision That Injured 16Troopers release updated information on three-vehicle collision that shut down both lanes of traffic for seven hoursRelated Content
Alaska State Troopers have released the names of those who were involved in Thursday afternoon’s collision on the Seward Highway in Indian.
Trooper Sgt. Michael Zweifel was on the scene of the collision and says 16 people were injured and Jason Small, 39, of Girdwood, was killed. Both lanes of the Seward Highway were shut down for more than seven hours. Troopers say at 1:42 p.m. Thursday they began getting 911 calls of a three-vehicle collision at mile 104.2 of the Seward Highway. Troopers with the Girdwood Post and Bureau of Highway Patrol responded. Investigators say a 72-year-old Anchorage man, Lewis Hayes, was driving an 11-passenger Ford van, traveling north on the Seward Highway. Eight people were in the van, Troopers said. Hayes crossed the center line and struck, nearly head-on, a south-bound Ford F-150 pickup truck, Troopers said. Small was behind the wheel of the pickup. Small’s truck crashed into a rock wall near the highway, trapping him inside. He was extricated and declared dead at the scene, Troopers said. Hayes’ van continued in the southbound lane and struck another vehicle head-on—a Chevrolet Suburban driven by Dorota Balaban, 43, of Anchorage. Eight people were in the Suburban, Troopers said. All eight people managed to get out of the Suburban before it caught on fire, Troopers said. Joshua Levi witnessed the collision while visiting Alaska from Washington, D.C. “Just coming around the bend, saw large, billowing smoke coming from around the corner,” Levi said. “About 5 minutes later, it turned into flames. It must have happened five or 10 minutes before it even showed up at the scene. Fairly large. I could see them from a quarter of a mile away.” But the Ford passenger van was leaning against the Suburban when it caught on fire. Two people were trapped in the Ford van, Troopers said. Bystanders managed to use a chain to pull the van away from the burning Suburban, and were able to save the two people in the van, Troopers said. Anchorage and Girdwood firefighters were able to extricate the people who were trapped and extinguish the burning Suburban. Hayes was medevaced to Providence Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. The van’s seven passengers were driven to nearby hospitals for treatment of serious injuries. Balaban and seven others in the Suburban were treated on-scene for minor injuries and released. “We have had a number of fatalities on that (Seward) highway alone this year and the Sterling Highway,” said Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters. “They are all tragedies. We really need to step up as a community because the roads are only as safe as the people driving on them.” Officers with Alaska State Parks Law Enforcement and Alaska Railroad Law Enforcement also responded to the collision. All three vehicles were totaled, Troopers said. The collision is under investigation. |
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jjj said on Tuesday, Aug 16 at 4:06 PM
we are talking about the most dangerous stretch of road in the state, the one that kills and maims more people than any other road. And NO shortage of idiots willing to risk it all to get a car or two ahead!
72449196john said on Sunday, Aug 14 at 6:19 AM
alaskan drivers are absolutely insane. i've been anda lived around the world and alaskans are some of the most wreckless drivers i've ever witnessed. don't care about speed limits, tailgating, etc. i've skydived, skiied 40 degree chutes, class V whitewater rafted, but nothing scares me more than driving on the seward highway. a death trap that needs to be policed!!!
72322827Dave Williams said on Wednesday, Aug 10 at 6:24 PM
R.I.P Small Diggity dawg ull always b my boy
72164629guest said on Friday, Aug 5 at 11:20 PM
I'lve lived all over the US but have never seen so much just crazy reckless driving than I've witnessed here in Alaska. Speed limits, road conditions don't seem to mean a thing.
71909144MayBee said on Friday, Aug 5 at 7:29 PM
The Seward Highway is one of the most beautiful AND deadliest drives in the U.S. It's near impossible to make it safe. Drivers must pay attention to the road (not the grand views) and not drive when they are road-weary. It's sad to hear about the fatalities, and that is on top of my mind every time I take that road.
71904106rod907 said on Friday, Aug 5 at 11:45 AM
i am with akres you can't stop stupid. it does not matter what you do to that road you could put a 5 mph sign up and people will still get killed. remember you can't stop stupid. this is why they put up double the fine signs up !!they thought it would stop stupid did that stop stupid NO!!!!
71883793Dave in AK said on Friday, Aug 5 at 11:02 AM
Once again KTVA...You have the facts wrong. The reporting isn't just shabby here at Channel 11, it's ridiculous.
71880852Man or women died said on Friday, Aug 5 at 10:09 AM
Which is it? KTVA has a women but others report Jason from Girdwood....
71877557AKres said on Friday, Aug 5 at 5:29 AM
All the speed limits and Troopers in the world along that stretch of highway will not stop stupid. Crossing over the center divide, speeding, passing in no passing zones, driver distractions...all avoidable! Think about it.
71857219ken said on Friday, Aug 5 at 2:17 AM
we should slow the speed limit down to save more lives in the high ways
71849143Bill Cox said on Thursday, Aug 4 at 9:55 PM
Megan Peters does not know what she is talking about the man with the broken leg. He was a cab driver who was helping people down a steep bank to the railroad so they could catch a flight to Europe. I was there.
71845594Guest said on Thursday, Aug 4 at 8:55 PM
I have seen van loads of foreign travelers in rental vans that obviously should not be driving on our roads, they can't read the signs or are taking in the sights crossing into the on coming lane when trailering our boat down to Whittier. Not that those involved inthis tragic were tourists but it is a problem. Prayers go out to all of them and their families.
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