Ninilchik Emergency Services and Anchor Point-based state troopers responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a vehicle roll-over at mile 142 of the Sterling Highway on Christmas Day.

When authorities arrived on the scene after the 1:27 pm 9-1-1 call, they found 65-year-old Denver Hammons outside of his rolled 1996 Nissan Pathfinder. He was unconscious and not breathing.

Attempts to revive Hammons were unsuccessful, and he was declared deceased at the scene.

The on scene investigation would determine that Hammons was traveling north-bound on the Sterling Highway when he crossed the centerline, drove all the way over to the southbound shoulder, before overcorrecting and skidding back to the northbound lane. The trooper report would say that Hammons would once again over-correct and travel once again into the southbound lane, where, this time, he rolled the vehicle into the ditch on that side.

The investigation determined that Hammons was not wearing a seatbelt, and when his vehicle overturned, he was thrown from the vehicle.

Hammon’s next of kin has been notified.