Doctor, Hotshot crew rescue 2 men from crash near Eureka

EUREKA — A doctor and the Chena Hotshot crew helped rescue two men after a rollover crash Tuesday afternoon on the Glenn Highway.

Alaska State Troopers say they were called to respond to a single-vehicle crash with injuries at Mile 116, Glenn Hwy., at 4:16 p.m., June 3.

Trooper spokesperson Megan Peters said the Chena Hotshot crew, stopped, put out a fire started by the crash and helped a U.S. Air Force physician from Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson care for the two injured men until emergency crews arrived by air ambulance.

Troopers say Ryan Palmer, 21, of Wasilla, and his passenger Michael Sunderland, 19, of Palmer, were ejected from the 1999 Subaru Legacy during the crash.

The Subaru was southbound when it left the road, “drove down the embankment, rolled several times, and came to rest after striking a tree,” troopers wrote.

Two LifeMed emergency helicopters flew the men to Providence Hospital in Anchorage with serious injuries, troopers say.

Troopers say neither man was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.

Peters said the crash is a reminder of the importance of wearing seat belts every time a person rides in a vehicle. Seat belts improve a person's odds of surviving a crash, she said.

Court View shows Palmer — the driver in the crash — has received several “Failure to Wear Safety Belt” tickets. Most recently, on May 22 Palmer Police cited both Saunderland and Palmer for not wearing his seat belts.

The investigation is ongoing, troopers say.