The morning hours of Monday would be marred with a fatal traffic accident on Monday when a shuttlebus and Saturn four-door collided on the Talkeetna Spur Highway.

Talkeetna Troopers were notified of the accident that took place between the Saturn and a Sunshine Community Health Center shuttlebus at 8:07 am on the Talkeetna Spur Highway.

Troopers arrived on the scene on the highway near the Woodpecker Avenue intersection to find 61-year-old Trapper Creek resident Richard C. Leo, and his four dogs, who were traveling in the vehicle with him, deceased at the scene.

The trooper investigation at the scene would find that as Leo was traveling southbound on the highway, when he lost traction and slid sideways into the oncoming lane of traffic.

An SCHC shuttlebus, driven by 39-year-old Gerry M. Cook was in the oncoming lane as Leo went into a slide and, subsequently, Cook T-Boned the Saturn, crashing head-on into the passenger side of the Saturn with fatal results.

Cook, who was wearing a seatbelt, was alone in the shuttlebus at the time of the accident, and received no physical injuries in the collision.

Troopers with the Bureau of Highway Patrol responded and took control of the initial on-scene investigation that closed one lane of the highway for a time. The investigation into the crash is continuing.

Leo’s next of kin were notified of his passing.