Valley teens injured in car accident

WASILLA -- Two Valley teen-agers were critically injured in a vehicle accident after sliding out of control and crossing the center lane near the Frontier Mall on the Parks Highway Friday evening.

Julie Menerey, 16, and Sally Fielder, 17, remained hospitalized Monday morning. Menerey, in stable but critical condition at Alaska Regional Hospital, suffers from internal injuries and a skull fracture. She had not regained consciousness as of Monday morning.

Fielder, the passenger in Menerey's 1994 Chevy Beretta, regained consciousness and is in stable condition with multiple fractures at Palmer's Valley Hospital.

The former Colony High School student is the daughter of Mark and Stacy Fielder of Palmer.

Menerey is a junior at Wasilla High School.

Wasilla Police reports, in the preliminary stages, indicate the 7:40 p.m. accident occurred at speeds too great for road conditions, said Wasilla Police Chief Don Savage.

Apparently, Menerey and Fields were driving in one vehicle side-by-side with two teens in another vehicle, both cars in the southbound lanes, said Julie's mom, Amy Menerey, who is an editorial designer at the Frontiersman.

"They had just left the house 15 minutes before," Amy Menerey said from Alaska Regional Hospital Monday morning.

Julie lost control when the vehicle's tail-end slid as she waved to the two friends in the other vehicle, Menerey said. She apparently over-corrected and spun in another direction into the on-coming lane.

The on-coming car, a Ford Taurus, hit the passenger side of Menerey's vehicle, which sent the Beretta over a snow berm in front of Frontier Mall, according to reports Amy Menerey received immediately following the accident. Both girls were unconscious, and emergency crews used the Jaws of Life to extract them from the vehicle.

At impact, the air bags were deployed in the Taurus.

Passengers received only minor injuries, according to ambulance reports. No names were available by press time.

The teen-age boys in the car driving beside Menerey's were not involved in the vehicle collision.

"We just want everyone to know Julie and Sally are hanging in there," Menerey said.

"We've received a lot of support from family and friends, and we're hoping for the best," she said.

All passengers in both vehicles were wearing seat belts, and no alcohol was involved, reports indicate.