One woman is dead and two other people injured following a two-car collision Tuesday afternoon on the Seward Highway near Bird Creek, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The crash, which closed the highway for nearly four hours, occurred around Mile 102 at about 3:40 p.m. when a southbound black Saab driven by Nichole Johnson, 27, of Girdwood, crossed the centerline, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

An oncoming blue Subaru driven by Savuth Chhin, 35, of Anchorage, T-boned her vehicle, Peters said.

Johnson's passenger, 22-year-old Meghan Murrell of Pennsylvania, was trapped in the vehicle for a time after the wreck, with a passer-by performing CPR on her until medics arrived.

Murrell died from her injuries on the scene, Peters said.

Murrell's 3-year-old child, also in the vehicle, was not injured, but Johnson sustained injuries to her head and body, she said. Chhin also suffered injuries to the back and neck. Both were transported to Anchorage hospitals, Peters said.

After working to clear and process the scene for nearly four hours, troopers opened the highway just before 8 p.m.

The reason Johnson's vehicle crossed the line was unclear, and the cause of the accident remained under investigation. Peters said she didn't know who had taken custody of the 3-year-old Tuesday night.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

ADVERTISEMENT