A pileup at milepost 355 of the Richardson Highway early Wednesday morning left three people injured and damaged several military and civilian vehicles.
The wreck happened just east of the Badger Road interchange, between Fairbanks and North Pole.
Alaska State Troopers say they responded a little before 5 a.m. to a report of a wreck involving an Army convoy. A Trooper dispatch says the pileup began when a truck ran into a trailer being towed by one of the Army vehicles.
An investigation showed the military vehicle was traveling without proper taillights.
National Weather Service meteorologist Cody Moore said conditions were poor around Fort Wainwright when the accident happened.
“Visibility was three-quarters of a mile or less, with snow and fog at the time,” he said. “Conditions were pretty treacherous, especially on the roadways.”
Four more crashes happened while military personnel were trying to remove the wrecked vehicle from the roadway, according to the Trooper dispatch. An 11th Airborne Division spokesperson said three soldiers with minor injuries were transported to Bassett Army Community Hospital on Fort Wainwright. The spokesperson said in an email that all three were evaluated and released.
Troopers said they issued multiple citations to civilian and military drivers.
The 11th Airborne spokesperson said an investigation into the incident is underway, and that they’re cooperating with Troopers.