A multiple vehicle crash on the Parks Highway on Friday night closed the highway for seven hours, the trooper dispatch reported.

At 10:33 pm on Friday night troopers responded to the scene of a multiple vehicle accident after receiving several reports.

When troopers arrived on-scene, they conducted an investigation revealed that a northbound 1997 Peterbilt Semi was pulling double trailers at mile 252.5 of the Parks Highway when the driver, 52-year-old Eric Kennedy of Anchorage, jack-knifed when he attempted to avoid a disabled vehicle vehicle blocking the northbound lane. When the vehicle jack-knifed, it blocked both lanes of travel.

A short time later, a 2010 Honda Element, also traveling north and driven by 22-year-old Anchorage resident, Stevie Lander, was unable to stop in time because of black ice on the road surface. Lander crashed into the rear trailer and became lodged between the trailer and the southbound guardrail. Lander, and his three passengers, were able to successfully extricate themselves from their vehicle.

One minute later, another vehicle, a 2004 Mazda Tribute, driven by  83-year-old Lonnie Parrish, also could not stop in time and crashed into the rear trailer as well. His passenger, Sandra Parrish, age 69, had to be extricated from that vehicle by Tri-Valley EMS.

The Parrishs, Lander, and two of his passengers were transported to the hospital by air and ground transport with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The highway was re-opened early morning Saturday.

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  accident, closure, ems, eric kennedy, hospital, jack knife, lonnie, multiple vehicles, parks highway, parrish, peterbilt, sandra, serious injury, stevie lander