An 18-year-old Soldotna teen was seriously injured when she was ejected from a truck as it rolled on the Sterling Highway on Thursday night, it was reported by trooper dispatch.

Anchor Point-based Alaska State Troopers responded to a single vehicle rollover near mile 122 of the Sterlingt Highway at 9:13 pm. During the response, troopers were informed that one of the occupants had been thrown from the rolling vehicle and was lying in the roadway. Ninilchik EMS and a Life Med helicopter were also dispatched to the scene. Once on scene, the Life Med helicopter transported the 18-year-old female to an Anchorage hospital for her serious injuries. She is currently listed in stable condition.

Multiple witnesses at the scene reported that the 2001 Ford Ranger was driving southbound at a high rate of speed through no-passing and the construction zone at that location.[xyz-ihs snippet=”adsense-body-ad”]

A witness stated that the Ranger had been attempting to pass three vehicles in a no-passing zone when it hit a gravel portion of the highway being repaired on the highway. The Ranger, found to be driven by 20-year-old Soldotna resident Cody C. Rhodes, lost control on the highway, began fishtailing, went sideways in the roadway before entering the ditch and rolling multiple times. As the vehicle began rolling, the teen was ejected from the truck.

The vehicle came to a rest in the northbound lane of the highway.

Rhodes received minor injuries in the crash and was transported to the hospital in Soldotna for treatment of his injuries.

It was determined that neither occupant was wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

The investigation into the crash is still under investigation.

The Sterling Highway was temporarily closed as EMS cared for the two occupants of the vehicle.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adversal-468×60″]

  Alaska, clam gulch, cody c rhodes, crash, injuries, ninilchik, rollover, speeding, sterling highway