Alaska News

Three injured in crash in Denali National Park; driver faces DUI charge

Three seasonal employees were injured in a rollover near Savage Creek on the Denali Park Road Wednesday night, according to a park official.

Denali National Park spokesperson Kathleen Kelly said the car had four occupants when it crashed. The three passengers suffered injuries; the driver walked away unscathed but was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Two of the passengers were flown from the Denali airstrip to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. One person is in critical condition; the condition of the second is unknown, Kelly said. The third passenger refused medical care at the scene.

All four people involved are seasonal workers at a lodge outside the park, she said. Park officials have not yet confirmed what lodge.

It's unknown exactly how the crash happened. The car was traveling west when it went off the park road near the creek. Two park employees saw the wreck and called it in.

The driver, an 18-year-old woman from Anchorage, was arrested by park rangers on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. The National Park Service hasn't identified the woman or the passengers.

The park road was closed for the evening while officials responded to the accident. It was closed again on Thursday afternoon while a tow truck removed the wrecked vehicle.

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Kelly said accidents involving drunk driving are rare to nonexistent in the park. Most driving violations are handed out for speeding, she said.

"People are pretty well behaved," she said.

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