NORTH STAR FIRE NEWS
PRESS RELEASE
FROM: Jerry Hanson, Deputy Chief DATE: June 8, 2007
For Immediate Release: North Pole, Alaska.
Thursday
evening, June 7, 2007, at approx. 6:30 PM, the North Star Volunteer Fire
Department responded to a reported Motor Vehicle Collision (MVC) at the
Richardson Highway Crossover at Laurance Road.
Initial witness reports were of a very serious MVC with one or more
possible fatalities, and there was an off duty police officer on scene
providing information and assistance.
Rescue 31, Engine 31, Battalion 3 (302), B/C Wells (307), and B/C
Ackerman (305) responded. North Pole
Fire Dept. Medic 25 (EMT-III Ambulance) arrived on location and reported one
confirmed fatality. NSVFD’s B/C Wells
reported on location to a major MVC with one vehicle (full size pickup) on its
roof, a second vehicle (small sedan) with major damage from impact to the
passenger side, and one patient with serious injuries. BC Wells requested additional law
enforcement for traffic control and assigned incoming apparatus to block the
highway and set up a safety zone to work in.
Rescue
31, Engine 31, and Batt. 3 arrived on location, w/ Rescue 31 setting up close
to the accident vehicles and Engine 31 setting up blocking the outside lane and
the turn lane on the Richardson Highway.
Battalion 3 assumed Richardson Command.
One patient with serious injuries was removed from the damaged sedan and
transported by NPFD Medic 25 to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Traffic continued to be routed down to one
lane as Alaska State Troopers started their investigation. Several hours later AST’s investigation was
still ongoing.
The exact
sequence of events for this major MVC were not disclosed by Thursday evening,
as AST continued their investigation.
This is the second major MVC with a fatality at a Richardson Highway
crossover in the North Pole area in less than one month. Driver’s are strongly urged to use caution
and to exercise patience when using any crossover or when turning in front of
any oncoming traffic on the Richardson Highway.
All
pictures are courtesy of the North Star Volunteer Fire Department.
