Driver killed in a collision with a moose near the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve

A driver was killed and a passenger in his car injured after hitting a moose near the entrance to Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve.

The vehicle’s collision with the moose occurred around 1 a.m. Friday, just south of the entrance to the Denali Park Road near Mile 235 of the Parks Highway, the park said in a statement.

A 24-year-old male driver, who was from Bulgaria, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 24-year-old female passenger, who is from North Macedonia, was taken to a Fairbanks hospital.

"The collision serves as a sobering reminder of the hazards of wildlife along Alaska’s roadways," the park said. "Moose, caribou, and other large animals are often active at dawn, dusk, and nighttime hours, and can be difficult to see."

The National Park Service is investigating the incident and working with the Bulgarian Embassy to notify the driver’s family.

The park urged drivers to slow down in dark conditions and use high-beam headlights.

Most Alaskans are used to seeing the large moose along roadways and into yards, but caution is always urged when driving where moose, which is the largest member of the deer family, the average moose stands at a height of over six-feet tall at the shoulder and weighs nearly 1,000 pounds, according to NPS.