Weekend marred by serious auto accidents

WASILLA — A pair of unrelated crashes resulting in serious injuries sent Valley residents to the hospital this weekend.

The first happened Saturday at 5:35 a.m., when an eastbound Ford pickup on Bogard Road near Copper Creek Road swerved into the westbound lane and into the path of an Alaska State Trooper.

“The trooper had to take evasive action to avoid a head-on collision,” according to a troopers press statement. As he turned his car around to pursue the pickup, it was still driving in the wrong lane when it came upon a westbound four-door sedan.

“The trooper was still catching up to the Ford in an attempt to stop it when it struck the sedan head-on near the intersection of Bogard Road and a local restaurant,” according to the press statement.

Troopers say rescuers from Central Mat-Su Fire Department had to cut both drivers out of their respective vehicles and identified the driver of the pickup as Eric T. St. Pierre, 46, of Eagle River, who was wanted on a warrant for failing to serve jail time on a drunken driving conviction.

He was treated at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and immediately arrested on the warrant.

“The investigation is ongoing into the crash with further charges expected. Alcohol is a contributing factor in this collision,” troopers report.

The driver of the sedan was still being treated when troopers posted their press release at around noon on Saturday.

The second crash was Sunday at 8:57 p.m. on Trunk Road.

Matthew J. Reid, 26, of Wasilla, “was operating a 2006 Suzuki sedan southbound on Trunk Road heading toward the Palmer-Wasilla Highway when an oncoming motorcycle traveling northbound lost control while negotiating a curve in the road,” troopers report.

The motorcycle hit the sedan head-on and its rider was not wearing a helmet.

He was air-lifted to Anchorage with “severe injuries to his head,” troopers report.

The press release does not identify the motorcycle rider, but says that he was in critical condition.