On Friday afternoon, Alaska State Troopers, Seward EMS, Bear Creek Fire Department, the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Rangers responded to the scene of a crash involving a Pacific Star flatbed truck and a 2019 Ford Escape at mile 12.5 of the Seward Highway.

The investigation at the scene revealed that William Hagood, age 58 of Palmer was driving his 2019 Ford Escape southbound when he encountered Alex Schmelzenbach, age 30 of Sterling, driving a Pacific Star Seafoods International flat-bed truck northbound. Slick surface conditions on the roadway caused the flatbed to cross over the centerline and crash headlong into the Escape.

After being extricated from his vehicle by the Bear Creek Fire Department, Hagood was rushed to the Providence Hospital emergency room in Seward by EMS. Hagood succumbed to his injuries, and at 8:30 pm, was declared deceased.

Following on-scene documentation, a lengthy cleanup process was initiated as approximately 200 cod and 40 gallons of diesel were spilled at the scene.

  alex schmelzenbach, collision, fatality, flatbed, highway, pacific star, seward, william hagood