Road conditions contribute to Big Lake man’s death

BIG LAKE — Responders say road conditions likely contributed to a car accident Thursday that killed a man.

“The roads were just absolutely terrible. They were slippery and there was a lot of slush on the road,” said Big Lake Fire Chief Bill Gamble. “That was the second head-on I’d been on within a couple of hours.”

The accident in question was called in to dispatchers at 5 p.m. at the intersection of Big Lake and Beaver Lake roads. Edward Irish Sr., 51, of Wasilla, was driving a 1991 Chevy Lumina van, spun out of control and crashed into a 2000 Ford pickup.

The other driver, James Hettrick, 30, Big Lake, and his young son were treated on scene for minor injuries and released.

“The little boy had some minor bruising and was a little sore, but other than that they were OK,” Gamble said.

But there wasn’t anything rescuers and medics could do to save Irish.

“He was DOA when the first unit, which was one of my battalion chiefs, got there,” Gamble said. “He had already succumbed to his injuries.”

Alaska State Troopers said in a press release that Irish wasn’t wearing a seatbelt when he crashed.

Gamble said his job on scene consisted mainly of running traffic and crowd control.

“There was a lot of traffic, a lot of bystanders,” Gamble said. “We just tried to get everybody away from the vehicle and make sure the scene was safe.”

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Valley first responders. Gamble’s first accident of the evening had been on Roger’s Road.

According to troopers, Leona Darnell, 23, Big Lake, was southbound when snow on the road made her lose control of her vehicle and she slid into the oncoming lane, hitting a pickup. The other driver, Benjamin Lawson, 20, of Big Lake, and his two passengers were not hurt. Darnell was hospitalized and later released.

On Thursday, ambulances from two Valley fire departments went to the stretch of Wasilla-Fishhook Road between miles five and six to clear five accidents that were reported at around the same time.

Gamble said drivers should slow down and be mindful of conditions. Streets had been plowed and sanded between the accident and when he spoke on Friday. But he didn’t expect his activity level would decrease anytime soon, as temperatures climbed above freezing. Come nighttime, he said, whatever melted would freeze back up, making conditions treacherous once more.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.