ANCHORAGE, AK. (THECOUNT) — Robert Twito, 73, the driver of a Ford F-150, and Donna Reisinger, 37, the driver of a Kia Soul, were killed Thursday in a four-vehicle crash on the Glenn Highway near the S Curves in Anchorage, according to Anchorage police. Authorities said a juvenile passenger riding in Reisinger’s vehicle suffered life-threatening injuries.
The fatal collision occurred on the Glenn Highway near the S Curves, a heavily traveled commuter corridor connecting eastern communities with downtown Anchorage. Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city, located in the south-central region of the state.
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Anchorage police said officers and emergency personnel responded to the crash shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday. The collision involved a Ford F-150, GMC Acadia, Ford Explorer and Kia Soul, prompting a lengthy closure of the southbound lanes while investigators processed the scene.
According to the Anchorage Police Department’s Major Collision Investigation Unit, the preliminary investigation indicates Twito was operating a Ford F-150 northbound when, for reasons that remain under investigation, the pickup crossed the median into the southbound lanes of the highway.
Investigators said the Ford F-150 first struck a GMC Acadia, then a Ford Explorer, before colliding with Reisinger’s Kia Soul.
Twito and Reisinger sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.
A juvenile passenger riding in the Kia Soul was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Authorities have not released the child’s identity or provided an updated medical condition.
Police said the drivers of the GMC Acadia and Ford Explorer were not injured in the collision.
The southbound Glenn Highway remained closed for several hours between the Hiland exit and Muldoon as investigators documented the crash scene and removed the damaged vehicles. The closure caused significant traffic delays during the morning commute.
The Anchorage Fire Department described the collision as a horrific incident and encouraged anyone emotionally affected after witnessing the crash to seek assistance through its Mobile Crisis Team.
Investigators have not announced what caused the Ford F-150 to cross the median. Police said the crash remains under investigation, and no information has been released indicating whether speed, impairment, weather or a medical emergency contributed to the collision.
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