Crash sends coach to hospital

September 8, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

PALMER - A three-vehicle crash at the Glenn Highway and Arctic Avenue closed all lanes of traffic about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, and sent a Palmer youth volleyball coach to Providence Alaska Medical Center.

Diane Clawson, 48, a longtime coach, was heading west on Arctic Avenue in a 1995 Chevrolet Blazer when a 35-foot motorhome heading north on the Glenn Highway T-boned her car. Clawson was knocked unconscious briefly, and was trapped in the Blazer for about a half hour after the motorhome pushed her SUV up to the fence line at the Arctic Avenue Tesoro station, said Kelly Turney, a Palmer police officer.

It took about a half hour for emergency responders to remove Clawson from the Blazer, he said. EMTs wheeled Clawson to a Lifeguard helicopter and flew her to Providence Alaska Medical Center with head injuries, Turney said.

George Norris, 61, of Okanogan, Wash., was driving the 1999 Fleetwood motorhome back to Washington for a friend when he ran a red light, swerved to miss a vehicle in the intersection and struck Clawson's Blazer, according to Turney. After Norris struck Clawson, the motorhome slid sideways, and hit a 1999 Subaru Forester driven by Clint Branum, of Anchorage, who was stopped in the southbound lane of the Glenn.

Branum, his female passenger and Norris declined medical treatment, Turney said, but a woman traveling with Norris was taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center with a broken ankle.

A Jeep attached by a tow bar to the motorhome collided with it on impact. The Subaru, the motorhome and the Blazer were totaled, Turney said.

All lanes of traffic were blocked for about a half hour. East and westbound traffic began to move first, but it was 45 minutes to an hour before traffic was flowing again in all directions. Alaska State Troopers, two ambulances and many firefighters responded to the scene, along with several Palmer police officers.

Turney cited Norris for running a red light and for negligent driving.

Clawson has been involved in various youth volleyball programs in the Mat-Su Valley over the years. According to Linda Gooch, her daughter, Clawson was on her way to officiate a volleyball match at Palmer High School when she was struck by the motorhome.

Clawson was to be released from the hospital today, Gooch said in an e-mail, and while Clawson is recovering, others are taking on Clawson's duties with the Valley Officials Association, Northern Lights Volleyball Club for middle school girls and an adult volleyball league.

Clawson also teaches 7th grade Language Arts at Palmer Junior Middle School and is a grandmother to three.

Clawson can receive cards during her recovery at P.O. Box 706, Palmer, AK, 99645.

Contact Mary Ames at 352-2284 or mary.ames@frontiersman.com.