A moose crosses the Richardson Highway north of Glennallen. (Marc Lester / ADN file)
A man was killed and his passenger was injured Friday when their vehicle struck a moose on the Parks Highway near the entrance to the road leading into Denali National Park and Preserve, officials said.
Park officials said in a statement that the vehicle collided with a moose around 1 a.m. Friday just south of the entrance to the Denali Park Road, near Mile 235 of the Parks Highway.
The driver, a 24-year-old man from Bulgaria, was pronounced dead at the scene, park officials said. His passenger, a 24-year-old woman from North Macedonia, was injured and taken to a Fairbanks hospital, according to the park.
The National Park Service is working with the Bulgarian Embassy to notify the driver’s next of kin, and the park said he will not be identified until that process is complete.
“The collision serves as a sobering reminder of the hazards of wildlife along Alaska’s roadways,” the park said in its statement, noting that moose and other large animals are often active along roads at dawn and dusk.
In its statement, the park urged drivers in the area to reduce their speed in low-light conditions and use high-beam headlights when possible.