Two hurt after vehicle loses control on ice and hits a guardrail in Ketchikan

Two people were hurt Thursday when their vehicle lost control on ice and struck a guardrail on Revilla Road in Ketchikan, Alaska State Troopers said.

Troopers responded to the single-vehicle crash at about 12:14 pm. Emergency medical crews took both people to PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the troopers' daily dispatch.

A good Samaritan moved the vehicle off the road before troopers arrived. Troopers said no impairment is suspected. The dispatch did not identify the two people or say who was driving.

A week earlier, the Ketchikan Fire Department warned residents about icy mornings. In an Oct. 22 Facebook post, the department said black ice can be hard to see and pavement may look wet but be slick as temperatures near freezing. Even when a thermometer reads 34 degrees, some surfaces can still be cold enough for ice, the department said.

The department urged drivers to allow extra time, slow down, brake gently, avoid sudden turns and leave space behind the car ahead. It said four-wheel drive helps but "does not come with a special exemption from physics." It also asked people to watch bridges, shaded roads, steps and sidewalks, especially early in the morning.