Vehicle strikes fuel pump at local gas station

PALMER — Fast-acting bystanders helped prevent a potential catastrophe after a vehicle struck a fuel pump at the Fred Meyer gas station in Palmer Tuesday afternoon.

Just before 4 p.m. Tuesday, Frederick Anderson, 70, of Palmer, was traveling southbound on the Glenn Highway in a gold Chevrolet Equinox, according to the Palmer Police Department, when the vehicle abruptly turned left, plowed over a curb and fence, and into the gas station. The Equinox hit one of the fuel pumps and struck a Jeep Cherokee, which was pushed into a Ford F250. The Equinox came to a stop next to the store portion of the station.

Palmer Fire Chief John McNutt said there was a small fire, which was extinguished by bystanders before authorities arrived.

“People acted quickly,” Palmer Police Chief Lance Ketterling said later Tuesday evening. “For all fueling points, fire is a primary concern.”

A Fred Meyer employee discharged three extinguishers on the fire. Emergency fuel shutoffs worked as they should and no further gasoline was spread around the motor vehicle accident within the gas station. Ketterling said that the quick actions of good Samaritans allowed the two individuals with injuries to be quickly transported to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and kept the fire from spreading.

Palmer Police are still unsure as to why Anderson turned left. Anderson was unconscious when found in the crashed Equinox, and was still unconscious upon arrival at MRSMC, authorities said. Cheryl Brooking, 58, of Anchorage was also transported to MSRMC with injuries that were not life threatening but were not minor, either, according to police.

Palmer Police is continuing its investigation of the case.