JBER Motorcyclist Crash Victim Identified

Frederick Jenkins III was killed when his Kaeasaki Ninja hit the tunnel wall near the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center on Monday. Image-Facebok profile
Frederick Jenkins III was killed when his Kaeasaki Ninja hit the tunnel wall near the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center on Monday. Image-Facebok profile

Alaska State Troopers identified the motorcyclist who died in the Anton Anderson Tunnel on Portage Road as 24-year-old Frederick Jenkins III of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Thursday.

It was on Monday that the Tunnel Fire Department, Whittier Police, Girdwood Fire Department and LifeMed Alaska responded to the call  reporting the motorcycle accident at 5:11 pm.

LifeMed transported Jenkins to an Anchorage hospital where he was pronounced deceased at 7:23 pm.

The investigation at the scene revealed that Jenkins was driving a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja, when he failed to negotiate a left hand turn inside the small tunnel near the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center at mile 5.5 of the Portage Highway. The motorcycle left the roadway on the right hand side and impacted the tunnel wall.

The accident caused the Portage Highway to be closed for approximately two hours.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Jenkins next of kin were notified of the incident.