Accident near Sheep Creek Lodge closes highway

An early morning accident on Saturday closed the Parks Highway for hours, delaying traffic bound for weekend festivities in Talkeetna. An Idaho woman was seriously injured in the accident.

State Troopers responded to an accident at milepost 83.5 of the George Parks Highway on Saturday morning.

The accident occurred at 2:30 a.m. and the highway was closed until after 10:00 a.m. A 45-year-old woman from Idaho was driving north on the highway, crossed the center line and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer near Sheep Creek Lodge.

According to Troopers, the woman had to be extracted from the vehicle and was transported to an area hospital with injuries. The woman’s SUV was totaled and there was substantial damage to the tractor trailer. The semi driver reported no injuries.

The closure of the highway delayed the Mobile Blood Bank of Alaska and all other traffic headed to Talkeetna for the weekend festivities.

The accident is still under investigation.