A Single Vehicle Accident Took Out 'Y' Highway Sign

Many area residents noticed the damage to a road sign and trees at the junction of the Talkeetna Spur Road and the Parks Highway, often referred to as the ‘Y.’  According to a State Trooper report published on Thursday, the sign was hit by a vehicle just after midnight on Friday the 23rd.  According to the dispatch report, a concerned citizen contacted Troopers after the accident.  Troopers arrived and saw an empty Ford pickup with “extensive front end damage.”  The sign that directs drivers toward either Anchorage or Fairbanks was also significantly damaged.

Troopers were initially unable to contact the vehicle’s owner, Douglas Pace of Talkeetna, but later determined that he was driving the vehicle.  Pace spoke to Troopers at the Talkeetna post on Wednesday, and was charged with failing to immediately report the accident.  Troopers say Pace was apparently wearing his seatbelt, and alcohol is not suspected to be a factor.  The damaged sign has been replaced.