Alaska News

Anchorage police respond to rash of accidents after overnight snow

Anchorage police responded to a slew of collisions and vehicles in distress Thursday in the wake of fresh snow and midday sunlight that blinded drivers.

By late afternoon police had responded to 82 vehicles in distress, 37 accidents and seven accidents with injuries, police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro reported.

Anchorage woke Thursday to several inches of fluffy snow -- six inches at the National Weather Service office on Sand Lake Road and two inches in Muldoon. The snow was kicked up by traffic on roadways, limiting visibility.

Later, bright sun on the southern horizon made it difficult to see and caused a number of accidents, including on the Seward Highway near Dowling Road, said police traffic Sgt. Roy Leblanc.

The most common problem was people losing control and getting stuck in snow berms along roadways, he said.

An icy base layer on the roads covered by polished snow and then the new dry snow made for dangerous driving, he said.

Leblanc had familiar advice: slow down, give yourself extra time and leave plenty of stopping distance.

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Reach Benjamin Brasch at bbrasch@adn.com or 257-4349. Twitter: twitter.com/ben_brasch

By BENJAMIN S. BRASCH

bbrasch@adn.com

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