Eagle River man lost, then found

PALMER — With a man missing on Pioneer Ridge Trail, Alaska State Troopers called out multiple search agencies and, 10 hours later, the man was found.

According to a trooper press statement, Brian McDermott, 47, of Eagle River, sent a text message at 5:30 p.m., saying he’d be back at the trail head at 8 p.m.

That time came and went. Four hours later troopers were called.

Troopers say the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, Alaska Search and Rescue dogs, and Mat-Su Search and Rescue were called out.

Rescuers eventually found McDermott at 10:04 a.m. at Mile 1.5 of Knik River Road. He was in good health.

“McDermott had underestimated the time to the summit and lost the path back down the mountain,” troopers said.

Drivers play bumper cars on Church Road

WASILLA — A five-car wreck isn’t something seen every day but, aside from the number of cars, this one wasn’t much to write home about.

According to Sgt. Kelly Swihart with the Wasilla Police Department, traffic was backed up from Church Road when the wreck happened at about 5:48 p.m., May 22.

With all that traffic on the road, heading into the intersection with Lucus Road, “some stopped and some didn’t.” Swihart said.

“It wasn’t too major of a crash at all,” he said. Still, “ people need to slow down a little bit.”

Basically what happened was Heather Camron, 20, of Wasilla, ran into Kyle Forbush, 52, of Big Lake, who was pushed into Margaret O’Hara, 53, of Big Lake, who was pushed into a person identified in a police department press release as “the driver of vehicle #4.”

That driver, police said, left the scene and was not identified.

The fifth driver, Keith Haben, rear-ended Camron.

Swihart said that most of the vehicles were drivable and that the department didn’t have to call out a wrecker.

“There was one, the last vehicle, that had some radiator damage but they made arrangements to have it taken away,” he said.

No one was hurt.