A car drove off the Seward Highway near Girdwood into Turnagain Arm amid whiteout conditions Monday. No injuries were reported, according to Girdwood firefighters.
Girdwood Fire Chief Michelle Weston said the crash happened shortly before 11:30 a.m., near Mile 98.5 of the highway.
“They drove over the railroad tracks into the water body,” Weston said.
According to Weston, Alaska Railroad personnel reported seeing the car resting on an ice ledge.
Firefighters and Anchorage police responded to the scene. Weston said the car’s occupants were able to safely exit the vehicle.
Police spokeswoman Renee Oistad declined to comment further on the wreck Monday afternoon.
Weston said the car crashed after fog along Turnagain Arm early Monday, with whiteout conditions still in effect when the vehicle left the highway.
Weston said the incident is a teaching moment for drivers traveling the Seward to check weather conditions along the arm. The conditions may vary sharply from those in Anchorage, which had clear morning skies Monday with an afternoon chance of snow.
She also urged motorists to carry emergency supplies and “be prepared for anything.”
“We’re usually in a totally different weather pattern,” she said.
Chris Klint is a web producer and breaking news reporter at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cklint@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Chris here.
