Fatal Anchorage vehicle-pedestrian crash partially closes Minnesota Drive near Spenard

A constabulary vehicles emergency lights flash blue. (Valerie Lake / Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage constabulary opportunity southbound lanes of Minnesota Drive are closed successful nan Spenard area Friday morning, arsenic they analyse nan city’s 4th fatal vehicle-pedestrian collision this week.

Police said successful a statement Friday greeting that officers responded to nan collision, connected Minnesota adjacent 34th Avenue, astatine astir 3:45 a.m.

“Initial indications are that an big antheral driving a Honda Pilot was travelling southbound connected Minnesota Drive erstwhile he collided pinch an big female pedestrian who was crossing nan roadworthy extracurricular of a crosswalk,” constabulary said successful nan statement. “Life-saving measures were performed connected nan victim; she was yet declared deceased astatine nan segment by AFD Medics.”

The driver remained astatine nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, constabulary said. No charges person been filed.

Police were diverting southbound postulation on Minnesota betwixt Spenard Road and Benson Boulevard Friday morning. The unfortunate hasn’t been named, arsenic constabulary notify her family.

She is the 4th woman to beryllium struck and killed by a conveyance successful nan Anchorage area since early Sunday, erstwhile constabulary opportunity 2 women – Shannon Wallner, 42, and Danielle Washington, 45 – were struck hours isolated by pickup trucks while crossing Muldoon and DeBarr Roads extracurricular crosswalks. A 3rd woman, who hasn’t yet been identified by police, was fatally struck early Monday by a minivan connected nan Seward Highway southbound of Potter Marsh.

Police addressed those collisions successful a Facebook post Tuesday, noting that nan return of early-morning acheronian successful autumn is often accompanied by an summation successful pedestrians struck by vehicles. They urged pedestrians to deterioration brighter colors and reflective stripes, locomotion facing postulation and transverse only astatine designated crosswalks aliases intersections.

Officers will beryllium resuming a pedestrian information item this month, funded by nan national National Highway Safety Traffic Administration and nan Alaska Highway Safety Office.

“You tin expect to spot accrued enforcement successful nan areas of municipality that thin to beryllium high-travel areas for pedestrians,” constabulary said successful nan post. “Officers moving nan specifications will target fierce drivers who are speeding, moving reddish lights and extremity signs, driving while impaired, improperly turning, and failing to output to pedestrians successful crosswalks. Officers will besides beryllium contacting pedestrians who are committing offenses that whitethorn summation their likelihood of being progressive successful a collision pinch a vehicle.”

Police are asking anyone pinch accusation astir Friday’s collision who has not spoken pinch police, aliases anyone who has surveillance video of nan area, to telephone them astatine 311.