Anchorage

Woman arrested, man critical after South Anchorage collision

An Anchorage woman has been charged with operating under the influence after she caused a collision on O'Malley Road early Thursday that sent a local man to the hospital with severe injuries, police say.

Tamara Dayton, 32, was also charged with first-degree assault in the crash that injured William Mathisen Jr., 35, police spokesperson Renee Oistad said in a statement.

At about 1:45 a.m. Thursday, according to police, Mathisen was at the wheel of a 1997 GMC pickup headed south on the Seward Highway when he took the offramp to O'Malley Road. Moments later, he was struck by Dayton's 2014 Toyota Corolla as she headed west on O'Malley.

"When the two vehicles collided in the intersection, Mathisen was ejected from his pickup and sustained serious injuries," Oistad wrote. "According to witnesses, (Dayton) ran the red light, which caused the collision."

Mathisen was in a hospital in critical condition Thursday afternoon, Oistad said. A passenger in Mathisen's pickup left the scene of the crash without apparently suffering any injuries.

Dayton was being held at the Anchorage jail as investigators continued to examine the crash site. O'Malley Road was closed for roughly three hours after the collision.

Chris Klint

Chris Klint is a former ADN reporter who covered breaking news.

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