Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

A Salcha man was killed in a head-on collision with a Kenworth semi at Mile 325 of the Richarson Highway about 40 miles southeast of Fairbanks on Tuesday afternoon. Patrick Sewell, 55, died at the scene.

The accident occurred just before 12:30 p.m. on a bend in the highway about a half mile south of Salcha Elementary School.

According to Alaska State Troopers, who were still at the scene four hours after the accident, Sewell was heading north in a 1986 automobile when he crossed the center line coming around a bend and collided head-on with an 18-wheeler from the Cold Regions Test Center at Fort Greely driven by David Sutherland, 40, of Delta Junction.

“He attempted to take evasive action and wasn’t able to in time,” Lt. Lonnie Piscoya said of Sutherland, who was not injured in the crash.

The Richardson Highway was shut down for approximately four hours as a result of the accident.

It’s not known whether alcohol was a factor in the crash, Piscoya said. The truck driver, Sutherland, was cleared at the scene of the crash but troopers said there were beer cans in Sewell’s vehicle. Blood tests will be done to determine if Sewell was driving under the influence, said Biscoya.

The Cold Regions Test Center, a branch of the U.S. Army, is located at Bolio Lake, eight miles south of Fort Greely.

Jeff Lipscomb, the center’s technical director, said it didn’t appear there was anything Sutherland could have done to avoid the collision.

“He was definitely on his side of the road when the skid marks started and the other car was on the wrong side of the road,” said Lipscomb, who was at the accident scene. Damage to the semi was estimated to be at least $50,000 and it may be totaled, Lipscomb said.

News-Miner staff writer Tim Mowry can be reached at 459-7587 or tmowry@newsminer.com.