Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Four people inside a 2017 Dodge minivan were killed, and a fifth person was injured as the driver was passing a semi-truck in a no-passing zone and collided head-on with an F-150 truck on the Parks Highway, south of Cantwell, Alaska

 Another victim, still in critical condition at an Anchorage area hospital has been identified as 58-year-old Venkata Ratnam Kadiyala, also of India.
 A typical 2017 Dodge minivan
Four people inside a 2017 Dodge minivan were killed, and a fifth person was injured as the driver was passing a semi-truck in a no-passing zone and collided head-on with an F-150 truck on the Parks Highway, south of Cantwell, Alaska





ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - Update: 3:20 p.m.


Troopers have identified one of the victims killed in the collision as 78-year-old Basava P. Veluvola, of India. Mr. Veluvola's family has been notified.

Another victim, still in critical condition at an Anchorage area hospital has been identified as 58-year-old Venkata Ratnam Kadiyala, also of India.

Troopers are still working to identify the three others killed in the crash, and to notify next of kin.

Update: 12:48 p.m.

In the wake of a crash that left four people dead on Monday, Alaska State Troopers asked for anyone who witnessed the event to contact them.

As it stands now, four people inside a van were killed, and a fifth person inside that van was injured.

The van crashed into a truck, which had three occupants in it: the driver, Collin Koskey, 23 of Fort Wainwright, a passenger, Felicia Koskey, 21 of Ft. Wainwright, and a 2-year-old boy.

According to troopers, Koskey reported that the minivan was passing a semi when it crashed into the oncoming truck. Troopers say they have no other independent witnesses to the collision.

Now, they're looking for the driver of that semi, and anyone else who may have seen the crash, to contact them by calling the Fairbanks AST post at 907-451-5100.

Troopers say they are still working on notifying the family members of those who died in the van, before they can release their identities.

Update: 10:14 p.m.

Two more men from the Dodge van have died on the way to the hospital, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The identities of those killed have not yet been released pending notification to the families of the victims.

The highway is expected to reopen shortly.

Update: 9:22 p.m.

Alaska State Troopers say the fatal accident happened when the driver of a 2017 Dodge Van was passing a commercial motor vehicle in a no passing zone.

According to AST's preliminary investigation, the Dodge Van collided with a Ford F150 in the oncoming lane, killing the 56-year-old driver of the van and a male passenger. Three other passengers in the van were critically injured and medevaced to Anchorage by Lifemed.

A family of three was in the Ford F150, driven by a 23 year old man, with a 21-year-old woman in the passenger seat, and a 2-year-old boy in the vehicle who was also medevaced.

Troopers say one lane of traffic remains closed as the accident remains under investigation. Traffic is expected to be affected for several hours.

Update: 4:34 p.m.:

Two people are dead in a head-on collision at Mile 185 of the Parks Highway, south of Cantwell. The highway will be closed, but Troopers at this point do not know when it will re-open.

A spokesperson for Alaska State Troopers says the crash was called in at 3:01 p.m. At least one LifeMed air ambulance was on the way by 3:40 p.m. An updated Trooper Dispatch posted just before 4 p.m. said two more people with serious injuries were being taken by medevac.