Father dies in Pittman Road car crash

MEADOW LAKES — A Wasilla man died Friday afternoon after the truck he was driving struck a road grader in the Meadow Lakes area, authorities said.

Kristopher K. Mielke, 42, of Wasilla was driving eastbound along Pittman Road near the intersection with Edenfield Road when his vehicle crossed the centerline and struck a 1993 John Deere Road Grader operated by William E. Olszewski, 64, of Wasilla about 3:30 p.m., according to an Alaska State Troopers press release.

Mielke was not wearing a seatbelt, and emergency responders declared him dead at the scene about 4 p.m., troopers said. Olszewski was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision, and reported no injuries, according to troopers.

Darlene Mielke, Kristopher’s wife, told the Frontiersman she wasn’t sure why her husband was out, but a sudden unannounced absence was unlike him.

“He was my husband, he was a really good guy and his kids are going to miss him,” she said Saturday, between audible sobs.

She guessed he might have been out getting supplies for some holiday shopping.

“I thought maybe he was going to get some (things) for the Christmas tree we were going to decorate this weekend,” she said.

She had called and messaged his cell multiple times to see where he was, and then she heard about the wreck about 4 p.m. Just before 6 p.m., a family member went down to the scene of the wreck and made a horrifying discovery.

“That’s how we found out,” she said.

Family members struggled to make sense of the loss, Darlene Mielke said.

“I’m pretty upset,” she said. “I don’t know exactly what to do. We’re all just dealing with it minute-by-minute. We’ll all just deal with everything.”

The collision had closed a section of Pittman Road Friday afternoon while troopers investigated the scene of the accident.

Additional details would be provided during regular office hours, said troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.