Semi vs. truck collision closes Parks for 7 hours Wednesday

MAT-SU — The Parks Highway was closed for more than seven hours Wednesday evening while emergency crews responded to a two-vehicle collision at Mile 185 that sent one to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for treatment of serious head injuries.

Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Beth Ipsen said officers with the Bureau of Highway Patrol, Fairbanks Team responded around 8:20 p.m., Jan. 15 to a collision involving a pickup and a semi pulling two trailers. Due to Wednesday’s whiteout conditions and the collision’s remote location, just reaching the accident scene took troopers about three and a half hours, she said.

Ipsen said officers were on scene for another three and a half hours taking measurements and working to clear the highway.

The crash happened when a Ford F-350 driven by Roy E. Johnson, 27, of Wasilla crossed from the southbound lane the Parks Highway into the northbound lane and the path of the semi pulling two trailers driven by Kevin Redd Bailey, 42, of Wasilla.

Troopers say Bailey turned into the southbound lane in an effort to avoid the collision, but to no avail. The truck collided with the semi and rolled into the guardrail before bursting into flames, Ipsen said. She said the two vehicles collided with so much force that it knocked the semi off the road.

It is unknown whether Johnson was thrown from the vehicle or whether he exited under his own power, Ipsen said. However he left the truck, Johnson was found lying in the middle of the highway at the crash scene when first responders from Cantwell emergency services reached him, she said.

Ipsen said the man was conscious when medics arrived, but he did not answer questions medics asked him, including his name.

“It’s unknown if he either was unable to talk due to his injuries or he simply choose not to answer the medics’ questions,” she said in an email.

Ipsen said the severity of the driver’s head injuries and the fire that destroyed the vehicle he was driving had initially prevented his identification. She said it appears the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of the crash and resulting fire. On Thursday evening, troopers reported they have identified the driver of the F-350, who is in critical condition at Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. The release of the driver’s name is pending notification of next of kin.

“The truck was too badly burned that we were able to identify him by using the truck or identification that was in the truck,” Ipsen said.

Johnson was identified late Thursday evening and his identity was released to the media following notification of next of kin on Friday.

Weather conditions prevented an air ambulance from responding, so the unidentified driver was transported by ground ambulance to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Ipsen said. He was later transferred to Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage where he remains in critical condition.

Mile 185, Parks Highway is about 150 miles from Wasilla near the Mat-Su Borough's northern edge, at Mile 202.1.

Troopers say the investigation will continue.