A caller reported to AST in Fairbanks that she had just witnessed a head-on collision  near mile six of the Chena Hot Springs Road at 5:52 pm on Wednesday, troopers responded promptly to the scene.

When EMS and troopers arrived at the accident location, they found one dead and one injured in a two-car collision that left wreckage in the ditch on both sides of the road.

One victim, 33-year-old North Pole resident, Sarah Lawrence, was discovered deceased, pinned in her 2017 Subaru WRX on the westbound side, and 81-year-old Lawrence Duffy, of Fairbanks, seriously injured in his 2017 Ford F250 in the eastbound ditch,

The initial investigation conducted at the scene would reveal that Duffy was driving over the double yellow center line when he collided with Lawrence, who was traveling in the opposite direction while in her lane.

The incident closed down the road for approximately five hours as volunteers assisted AST with traffic control as the  on-scene investigation progressed.

Emergency Medical Personnel transported Duffy to the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Lawrence’s next of kin were notified of her passing, and the State Medical Examiner requested her remains for autopsy.

It is currently unknown the cause of the collision, and the troopers are working closely with the District Attorney’s office in the investigation.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

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