Alaska State Troopers have identified a Soldotna man who died in a two-vehicle crash on the Sterling Highway Friday afternoon, which also injured three other people and temporarily closed the highway.
AST spokesperson Beth Ipsen says 85-year-old Daniel Gonzales was killed in the collision, which happened at Mile 107 of the Sterling at 12:05 p.m.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that Ruby Gonzales, 82, of Soldotna was driving a 2001 Jeep Cherokee northbound on the Sterling Highway when she lost control on a slight hill,” Ipsen wrote in a Friday email on the crash. “The Jeep crossed over into oncoming traffic. The front passenger side of the Jeep collided with the front driver side of a 1999 Dodge truck driven by Vincent Redford, 50, of Soldotna.”
Troopers believe Daniel Gonzales, Ruby Gonzales’ passenger and husband, was wearing a seat belt, but say he was ejected from the Cherokee and declared dead by Central Emergency Services medics at the scene.
Both drivers as well as Redford’s passenger and mother, 72-year-old Constance Redford of Soldotna, were taken to Central Peninsula Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
A male fatality has been confirmed in one of the vehicles, with one injured person from the same vehicle and two more from the other vehicle all taken to Central Peninsula Hospital.
Troopers are continuing to divert traffic on the Sterling to Pollard Loop Road, which Ipsen said should continue into early Friday evening.
Neither alcohol nor drugs are believed to have been a factor in the crash.
Contact Chris Klint
