A 24-year-old man was killed and a woman was injured after their vehicle hit a moose near the entrance to Alaska’s Denali National Park and Reserve, officials said.
The crash happened around 1 a.m. Friday, just south of the entrance to the Denali Park Road near Mile 235 of the George Parks Highway, also referred to as the Parks Highway, the park said in a statement.
Officials said the driver, who was from Bulgaria, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 24-year-old female passenger, who is from North Macedonia, was taken to a hospital in Fairbanks.
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The National Park Service is investigating the incident and working with the Bulgarian Embassy to notify the driver’s family.
“The collision serves as a sobering reminder of the hazards of wildlife along Alaska’s roadways,” the park said. “Moose, caribou, and other large animals are often active at dawn, dusk, and nighttime hours, and can be difficult to see.”
The park urged drivers to slow down in dark conditions and use high-beam headlights. The condition of the animal was not immediately clear.
Denali is 6 million acres of wild land bisected by a single ribbon of road. It is home to North America’s tallest peak, Mount McKinley, which had its name changed back from Denali in January in response to an executive order signed by President Trump after he took office.
