ANCHORAGE — The driver of a passenger van that crashed last week, killing three people, was driving impaired and speeding, according to Alaska State Troopers.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Sonny Iloilo, the driver of a van carrying 10 people when it crashed in the village of Atka about 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Iloilo is charged with three counts of manslaughter, six counts of felony assault and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The crash killed Ray McCullough Jr., Mike Tunohun Jr. and Paul Nicholas Nesbit, all of Anchorage.
According to investigators, the crash occurred on a straight stretch of road.
The van drifted off the road, and when the driver attempted to return, he overcorrected. Then the van rolled at least once and came to rest on its side on the other side of the road, investigators said.
High speed contributed to the crash, troopers said, as did the driver’s impairment.
No one in the van was wearing a seat belt.
The injured included Iloilo, Jacob Bernet, Loelu Siatuu, Boulay Vilavong and Steven Nyberg of Anchorage; Jesus Hernandez of California; and Jonathan Merculief of Unalaska.
All but Merculief were flown out of Atka for treatment.
Atka Island is 350 miles west of Unalaska and Dutch Harbor, a major U.S. fishing port. Inclement weather prevented troopers from immediately reaching Atka Island.
State prosecutors in Anchorage obtained a no-bail warrant for Iloilo on Monday.
