Late last Friday night a call went in to the Alaska State Troopers reporting an accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.

Fairbanks Troopers, the Bureau of Highway Patrol, North Pole police and Fairbanks Police responded to Milepost 352.5 of the Richardson Highway at 11:45 pm.

The preliminary investigation into the incident revealed that 65-year-old James Sullivan of Fairbanks was driving his 1997 Ford F-350 pickup from Tok to Fairbanks when he reported taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at a vehicle in his left side mirror that was passing him in the left northbound lane.

That was when he reported that he heard as well as felt his vehicle strike something. A witness in another vehicle saw what they thought was a person getting hit by Sullivan’s vehicle as well.

The pedestrian, identified as 48-year-old Fairbanks resident Verna Beattus was pronounced dead at the scene.

It was reported by a witness that Beattus was intoxicated at the time. She was wearing dark clothing and walking on th roadway as well. That area has no lighting on the roadway.

The investigation into the incident is continuing.