An Anchorage man died Saturday night in a rollover crash on the Richardson Highway near Fairbanks, after police say his pickup truck slid into a ditch and he was ejected from the vehicle. According to a Monday statement from Fairbanks Police Department spokesperson Yumi McCullough, 47-year-old Troy Dean Robins died in the crash of a 1998 Toyota Tacoma at about 11 p.m. Saturday, off the northbound lanes of the Richardson at Mile 360 about two miles outside of Fairbanks. Police say the pickup lost control on poor road conditions, sliding into a ditch on the north side of the highway. “The vehicle rolled onto its side as it contacted the deep snow and came to rest on the passenger side in the ditch,” McCullough wrote. “(Robins) was not wearing his seat belt and was partially ejected out the passenger door window as the vehicle rolled. The vehicle came to rest on top of the driver causing fatal injuries.” An FPD officer responding to another crash in the area saw the incident, responding immediately. Robins was identified by his driver's license. “Upon witnessing the rollover, the officer went to the vehicle and attempted to check on and assist the driver; however he found that he was already deceased,” McCullough wrote.
Calls to Fairbanks police for details on the crash weren't immediately returned Monday morning. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.