AST Identifies Fatalities in Monday’s Parks Highway Two-Vehicle Crash

Alaska State Troopers have released the names of all the persons who were killed in the Monday afternoon Parks Highway crash that occurred at mile 185.

The death toll in the two-vehicle crash now stands at four. Those killed were identified as Siva Veeramachani (Driver), Dr. Mathukumilla Verra Venkata Satyanarayana Murthi (goes by M.V.V.S Murthi), Pattabhi Ramayya Chowdhary Vantipali and Basava P. Veluvola.

AST responded to the crash location shortly after 3 on Monday afternoon to find the driver of the 2017 Dodge van involved in the accident and one of his passengers deceased at the scene.

Several persons were on hand at the time of the trooper’s arrival. Included were two Fairbanks police officers returning from Anchorage, “EMS and Fire responded from Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, Willow, Cantwell, and Tri-Valley.  Also, EMS and LEOs from Denali National Park responded to assist,” trooper stated.

Troopers went on to report that in addition, “there were multiple good Samaritans who were on scene.  Two female ER nurses on vacation from Huston, TX, were the only medical staff on scene for approximately 40 minutes.  They were instrumental in undertaking life-saving measures and also instructing others on how to help.  Other people that stopped included former EMS volunteers and a DPS civilian employee.”

An Anchorage Life Med chopper responded and airlifted the three other occupants of the van to Anchorage. En route, two of the victims died.


The investigation at the scene revealed that the Dodge van attempted to pass a commercial vehicle in a no passing zone and impacted an on-coming 2007 Ford F-150 with a family of three. Identified in that vehicle were Collin Koskey, 23, Felicia Koskey, 21 of Ft. Wainwright and their two-year-old child. That child was also airlifted with serious injuries.

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The investigation into the crash is continuing and troopers ask that anyone who witnessed the accident to contact them at the Fairbanks post at 907-451-5100.