Before the holiday period started State officials warned of taking extra caution on the roadways. Unfortunately two separate Alaska vehicle crashes on Chena Hot Springs Road have resulted in eight people being injured, including one 15 year-old girl who has reportedly suffered serious injuries.

The young girl who was injured was a passenger involved in a head-on collision. She was taken to a nearby hospital with what officials are calling serious injuries.

Alaska Head-On Collisions

According to Troopers, this latest Alaska head-on car accident occurred when the 20 year old driver, Christopher Harkom, of Two Rivers, was heading east. He apparently lost control of his vehicle and hit another car being driven by a 26-year-old man from North Pole. There were three passengers in Harkom’s vehicle and all suffered injuries. The other passenger was an unidentified male, age 18.

So far, initial reports indicate that alcohol was not a factor in this latest Alaska car crash.

Motorcycle Accidents in Alaska

A separate accident involved a motorcycle that was traveling in the wrong lane and caused a crash. The driver, Fred Hill, of North Pole, and another motorcyclist were heading toward Chena Hot Springs Resort when Hill swerved into the opposite lane. At the same time, a Toyota Corolla that was driven by Kelvin Rodriguez of Colorado was heading the opposite way. Apparently Hill tried to avoid them by driving his motorcycle toward the toward the guardrail. Hill then allowed his bike to fall over in order to avoid hitting it the automobile head-on. Hill’s bike collided with the guardrail and he moved further down the road, suffering a leg injury.

The Toyota unfortunately careened off the road and went into a rollover, landing on its roof. There were four other passengers in Rodriguez’s vehicle; none of the passenger suffered any serious injuries. The motorcyclist was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and the passengers in the Toyota were taken to Bassett Army Hospital.

At the same time this was occurring, another motorcyclist ran his bike into the ditch as he was trying to see the accident through rear-view mirror. Apparently speed was a factor here as it is believed that both motorcycle were traveling above the posted limit.

Alaska Personal Injury Lawyers

If you or someone you love has been harmed in an Anchorage motorcycle or car accident, you need the help of an Anchorage personal injury lawyer who understands how to handle Alaska accident cases and has the resources to successfully fight for the rights of those who have been wrongfully injured.  Barber & Sims has been serving the state of Alaska for over 25 years, they are an Alaska personal injury law firm that has the collective experience and resources to take cases to trial if needed. Call our Anchorage law firm today at (800) 478-5858 to schedule a free initial consultation.

Alaska auto accidents occur all too frequently and the reasons behind these accidents vary. In the past month there have been a number of vehicle accidents in Alaska ranging from intoxicated drivers to inattentive or distracted drivers. The latter appears to be the case in this most recent  serious auto collision that injured two people. The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon on the Seward Highway near Mile 116 along Potter Marsh.

According to the Anchorage Police Department, the driver of a white pickup truck that was traveling southbound apparently did not notice that directly in front of them was a Ford Focus who was in a topped position waiting to make a left hand turn. The pickup then slammed into the back of the Focus causing serious injury to the vehicle and passengers.

The driver of the white pickup truck was uninjured, however the two people in the Ford Focus have seen said to suffer serious injury. According to authorities, the two people in the Focus were transported to a local hospital. At the time of the accident report their condition was unknown. It has been since reported that the passengers are expected to recover.

Alaska Auto Accidents Law

This Alaska auto accident is still under investigation. If the driver of the truck was impaired or inattentive, the passengers of the Ford Focus have rights under Alaska law. They should immediately seek the help of an accomplished Alaska personal injury attorney who can guide them on the process of their claim. The passengers are entitled to certain rights under the law including medical care, lost wages and compensation for the damage to their vehicle.

Statistics on Auto Accidents in Alaska

During the year 2007 there were 82 fatal car crashes in Alaska. During that same period 343 auto accidents resulted in what is deemed as serious injury to the drivers or passengers of the vehicles. Throughout Alaska there were a total of 10,578 motor vehicle accidents that occurred in 2007. Luckily, in the majority of these cases, about one quarter of the drivers of the vehicles saw only minor injuries. The other three quarters of those Alaska accidents resulted in property damage.

Alaska Injury Attorneys

The Barber & Sims Anchorage Alaska personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Barber & Sims will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Teenage driving accidents are a high cause of auto-related injuries in Alaska. This past weekend a 16-year-old from Palmer was listed in critical condition after his Ford Explorer crashed in a ditch outside Wasilla, Alaska. The crash was reported at about 3:45 a.m. on May 9^th.

The young driver, Mitchell A. Rissew, was heading east on Bogard Road and the car was occupied by two other teenagers. Suddenly his 1995 Ford Explorer crossed traffic into the oncoming lane, went into a ditch and then rolled several times near the Earl Drive intersection.

All of the teenagers involved in the Alaska auto accident were taken to local hospitals. Rissew was flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center. Another 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy, passengers in the vehicle rollover, were taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and were reported as having sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

According to Alaska State troopers, only one of the teenagers was wearing a seatbelt. Investigators have initially reported that alcohol and/or intoxicants are not believed to be a factor in this serious Alaska truck accident.

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Mitchell A. Rissew and we wish him a speedy recovery from his critical injuries. We also pray the other passengers of the truck rollover accident have a quick recovery.

Teen Driving Accidents in Alaska

Each year, teenagers account for approximately 20% of the fatalities and major injuries that occur on Alaska’s roads and highways. In nearly half of these cases, the unfortunate deaths could have been prevented by the use of seat belts.

Alaska Laws For Teen Drivers

1) At age 16, a person may be eligible for a Provisional License when:

• That person has held a learner’s permit for 6 months,
• A parent or guardian certifies that this person has performed at least 40 hours of driving, including 10 hours of driving under challenging conditions such as nighttime or harsh weather conditions, and
• This person has not been convicted of violating a traffic law for at least 6 months before applying.

2) Once the youth holds a Provisional License, they are subject to several limitations for the first 6 months of driving.  They must:

• • Driving between 1:00 and 5:00 a.m. is prohibited except when driving to and from a job or in an emergency situation
  • Generally no passengers except for: Passengers who are 21 yrs or older or siblings of the driver
  • Passengers when accompanied by the driver’s parent or legal guardian.

3) 6 months after a Provisional License is issued, the youth may apply to the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for an unrestricted license:

• As long they have not been convicted of a traffic offence for at least six months before their application.

Two important exceptions to this law:

• A driver with a Provisional License may be eligible for a work permit so that they can drive to or from work or drive during the entire time they are employed.
• Driver’s issued permits or licenses under the DMV’s hardship or off-systems licensing programs are in no way affected by the GDL licensing provisions.

Alaska Auto Accident Lawyers

The Alaska personal injury lawyers at Barber and Sims have been representing injured Alaskans involved in auto or trucking accidents for nearly three decades. Call our offices today toll free at (800) 478-5858 to schedule a free consultation with one of our injury attorneys.

Injury Attorneys

The Barber & Sims personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Barber & Sims will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Read more about this story at: http://www.adn.com/2010/05/09/1270383/teen-critical-after-car-hits-ditch.html

In Alaska’s Mat-Su Borough the emergency dispatch centers are keeping pace with technology. Because a large number of emergency 911 calls come from cellular phones the Palmer Police Department has recently upgraded its system to something called “Enhanced 911.”

With Enhanced 911, within 30 seconds of receiving ca call from a cell phone, a dispatch operator can map the location of the call using cell tower triangulation.

Many people that have been involved in an Alaska auto or trucking accident are in an obvious state of shock when calling in for emergency help, especially if the accident involves serious injury. As a result, a victim is often disoriented and rattling off a lot of information and may not even be able to tell the dispatcher the exact location of the accident.

The new technology works best in more densly populated areas where there are more cell towers, but can be accurate even in more rural locations.

According to a recent new s article on KTUU, the system is constantly being tested for accuracy and any potential bugs.

Alaska Injury Lawyers

The Alaska personal injury lawyers at Barber and Sims have nearly three decades of experience in representing injured Alaskans involved in auto or trucking accidents. Call our offices today toll free at (800) 478-5858 to schedule a free consultation with one of our injury attorneys.