Anchorage Teen Critical After Moose Crash on Icy Street

An 18-year-old Anchorage driver was hospitalized in the intensive care unit after her car collided with a moose on an icy road Monday night. The crash occurred while Autumn Stone was driving home. Her mother, Megan Stone, stated that her daughter had no time to brake before the animal appeared in the roadway.

Fire crews found the vehicle badly damaged with the driver trapped inside. Multiple teams used hydraulic rescue tools to extract her from the wreck. Anchorage firefighter Jason Dolph explained that moose present a unique danger at highway speeds. When a car strikes a moose, the animal often becomes suspended in the air before landing back on the vehicle. In this incident, the moose landed on the hood, windshield, and roof. Dolph noted that such impacts can apply 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of force to the car.

Megan Stone said medical staff expressed surprise that her daughter survived the crash. She reported that Autumn suffered brain bruising, lacerations, and a broken hand. Stone added that there were no catastrophic injuries. As of Wednesday, the teen remained in the ICU and was expected to stay there for several more days. Stone viewed photos of the wreck and said she was relieved her daughter was alive despite the severity of the damage.

Cory Stantorf, a Fish and Game Biologist, said the Anchorage area typically sees about 100 moose-vehicle collisions per year. He noted that these incidents increase during the current season. The rise coincides with the rut, when bulls follow cows. Drivers also navigate pitch-black conditions during morning and school commutes. Without snow to provide contrast, moose are harder to see. Stantorf advised drivers to slow down because reaction times are shorter in the dark than in the summer.