Two die on Christmas eve; one in car crash on Parks, another perhaps from gunfire

PALMER — Alaska State Troopers responded to a single motor vehicle collision that resulted in a fatality at around 2:00 p.m. on Monday, December 24. According to a Trooper dispatch, 26-year-old Joshua Cooper of Eagle River left the Parks Highway traveling southbound in his 2004 Chevy pickup and struck the pillar of the Trunk Road Overpass. Cooper died from his injuries after being transported to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. The infant child that was also in the vehicle survived with non-life-threatening injuries. The accident is still under investigation.

WASILLA — At 8:53 p.m., AST responded to a disturbance on South Outrigger Drive in Wasilla and discovered 51-year-old Julian Myers of Wasilla had died. Troopers responded to reports of shots fired during a disturbance and the responsible person is cooperating with the investigation.