A pedestrian was critically injured by a truck that slid off the road near the Auke Bay ferry terminal Monday night, with the driver arrested on charges of driving under the influence and felony assault, according to the Juneau Police Department.
Kyle Christopher Walker, 40, the driver, lost control of the truck just before 8 p.m. in the 14000 block of Glacier Highway, according to a JPD information release and court records. Roads throughout Juneau have been hazardous since the onset of a heavy snowstorm Saturday night that turned to rain and freezing rain on Monday.
“An investigation into the sequence of events leading up to the collision is still under investigation,” the JPD release states. Witnesses who have not yet been interviewed by police are asked to call the station at (907) 500-0600 to make a report.
Walker has been charged with driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content of more than .08%, a Class A misdemeanor, and felony second-degree assault, according to the Alaska Court System’s online database. An arraignment and bail hearing was held Tuesday, and a representation and preliminary hearing are scheduled Dec. 13.
The pedestrian is Nic Tedford, a Juneau resident, according to JPD Chief Derek Bos. Tedford was transported to Bartlett Regional Hospital in critical condition and subsequently medevaced to a hospital in Portland, Oregon, for further care.
Nic Tedford, a Juneau resident pictured with his daughter Joanna, was critically injured when he was hit by a vehicle near his home Monday night. (Photo from GoFundMe page established by Amy Blackwell)
A GoFundMe established for Tedford notes he sustained broken bones and internal organ damage.
“Nic Tedford, a father and husband from Juneau, was checking the mail and letting the dogs out to use the bathroom Monday night, just as he did every night before bed, when he was hit by a truck,” the fundraising page states. “The collision occurred on Glacier Highway at the bottom of Nic’s driveway.”
An update posted Thursday by Amy Blackwell, the organizer of the fundraiser on behalf of Tedford and his family, states he has been conscious at times and there have been improvements in his condition, but he remains on a ventilator.
Some parts of Juneau received more than 18 inches of snow during the storm that began Saturday night and a flood watch is in effect for the region until Tuesday night due to ongoing rain. Traffic warnings have been issued by emergency officials and the City and Borough of Juneau, with numerous reports of icy surfaces and vehicles sliding off roads.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
