Juneau driver, 33, dies in Hyer Road crash in Palmer

A 33-year-old Juneau man died Thursday morning after his vehicle went airborne over the Hyer underpass in Palmer and struck a concrete support, the Alaska State Troopers said.

Troopers said they responded to the single-vehicle collision on Hyer Road at 7:31 a.m. Thursday, in dispatch AK26089730. Troopers identified the driver and sole occupant as Eric Ashenfelter. He was unconscious and trapped inside the vehicle when responders arrived. Mat-Su Borough EMS and Fire personnel extricated Ashenfelter from the wreckage. They took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators determined the vehicle was traveling northbound on the Parks Highway before it left the road. It became airborne over the underpass and struck the concrete support on the opposite side.

Next of kin have been notified, and the investigation is continuing. The account comes from the trooper dispatch; troopers have released no further details.