Alaska: Trooper struck, injured on Old Glenn

An Alaska State Trooper survived getting hit by a car Thursday night in Palmer. According to a trooper dispatch posted online, the trooper had stopped to help a vehicle in the ditch near mile 12.5 of the Old Glenn Highway when another vehicle spun out of control on ice and struck the trooper’s vehicle.

“The collision caused the driver side door of the Trooper vehicle to slam on the leg of the involved Trooper as he attempted to get into his patrol vehicle to avoid being struck,” troopers wrote.

Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters identified the injured officer as trooper Benny Marcos. Marcos was taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and later released with what were described as minor injuries to his leg.

The driver of the Chevy Avalanche that struck Marcos’ trooper vehicle, 34-year-old Oliver Kapusciok, of Palmer, was cited for basic speed. No other injuries were reported in the incident.

Peters said the crash was a “perfect example of why it’s important,” for drivers to slow down around emergency vehicles.

“Nationwide, motor vehicle collisions are one of the leading causes of death for law enforcement officers,” Peters wrote in an email.

She cited statistics by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund which show 414 officer deaths in auto crashes between 2005 and 2014.

“By slowing down or moving over it helps keep first responders safe as well as the people they are assisting,” Peters wrote.