Anchorage

Seward Highway closure lasted 10 hours due to equipment needed to clear wreck, troopers say

Clearing the Seward Highway of debris from a deadly collision Friday took nearly 10 hours in part because special equipment, including a forklift and a heavy commercial tow truck, had to be brought to the scene, Alaska State Troopers said in an online dispatch Tuesday.

Six vehicles, including a tour bus, and two trailers were involved in the crash, which happened around 12:30 p.m., the dispatch said. The damaged vehicles "totally obstructed both lanes of traffic and required the use of two towing services, including a heavy commercial tow truck, to clear the road," troopers wrote.

"Due to the number of vehicles involved and massive damage to the trailers, that removal process was time consuming."

The road was re-opened by 10:16 p.m., the AST said.

All the involved vehicles were impounded. Troopers are working with DOT&PF Commercial Vehicle Enforcement to examine the tour bus to figure out why it slammed into the back of a line of cars waiting to turn into the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, setting off a chain reaction.

Michelle Theriault Boots

Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers up and down the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon.

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