Accident temporarily closes Thompson Drive

Submitted by University Relations
Phone: (907) 474-7902
10/19/05

Thompson Drive at the University of Alaska Fairbanks was closed for about two hours Wednesday morning after an accident involving a fire engine from the University Fire Department. No other vehicles were involved in the accident. Three people were transported to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital with minor injuries, where they were treated and released. The road was reopened at about 12:45 p.m.

According to University Fire Department Chief Edie Curry, one of the department’s engines was responding to an auto accident at the intersection of the Mitchell Expressway and University Avenue at about 10:30 a.m. After crossing the bridge on Thompson Drive, the engine started to slide sideways and eventually tipped over onto its side, coming to rest on the edge of the road. The engine was righted by a large wrecker and towed to a Fairbanks North Star Borough repair facility.

During the closure, motorists were routed to Alumni Drive and Sheep Creek Road for campus access. Crews from the Fairbanks Fire Department were called to respond to the accident at the Mitchell Expressway and University Avenue, Curry said.