Two pedestrians were struck and killed by cars in Anchorage Tuesday night, and one of the drivers now faces murder and DUI charges, police say.
Neither of the victims have yet been named as police notify their families, according to spokesman Christopher Barraza. Roads near both collisions were closed for hours as police investigated them.
These are the city’s first pedestrian fatalities of 2025, following a lethal year on local roads in 2024 with 15 pedestrians struck and killed.
According to police, the first fatal collision Tuesday happened around 8:45 p.m. in East Tudor Road’s westbound lanes near Lake Otis Parkway.
“According to witness statements, the pedestrian was walking on the sidewalk before entering the roadway, where she was struck,” Barraza said in an email. “Witnesses indicated she was not in a marked crosswalk at the time of the collision. Whether she was within an unmarked crosswalk is still under investigation.”
Anchorage Fire Department medics declared the woman dead at the scene, Barraza said. The juvenile driving the vehicle that struck her remained at the scene and cooperated with police; no arrests have been made in the collision.
About an hour later, Barraza said officers responded to the second collision, reported as a hit-and-run in the northbound lanes of Minnesota Drive near Northern Lights Boulevard. Medics declared the man dead.
Police said the vehicle involved, a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, left the scene afterward. A witness gave officers a tip that led them to its alleged driver, 30-year-old JB Matha. Officers found him on 14th Avenue, taking him into custody after a brief foot chase.
“Through investigation, officers determined Matha was driving at a high rate of speed when he struck the pedestrian,” Barraza said. “He also appeared to be impaired at the time of the collision. During his arrest, officers found drug paraphernalia and a firearm in his possession.”
Barraza said Matha was charged with several crimes including second-degree murder, DUI, misconduct involving weapons and controlled substances, felony refusal to submit to a chemical test, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid, driving with a canceled license and violating conditions of his release.
Matha was being held Wednesday at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.
A state traffic engineer has said there is no one factor driving the recent increase in pedestrian deaths. Anchorage Assembly leaders have laid out a number of suggested changes to improve pedestrian safety, including adding more lights and reducing speeds in certain areas.
A proposal to reintroduce jaywalking fines, which were repealed by the Assembly in 2023, was scrapped earlier this month. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance has said the city has “major infrastructure issues” that her administration is working to address.
