Soldotna man identified in rollover fatality

  • By DAN BALMER
  • Wednesday, September 10, 2014 10:45pm
  • News

A vehicle rollover on Funny River Road Tuesday resulted in one death.

The deceased driver has been identified as Connor Jezorski, 21, of Soldotna.

The single-vehicle accident occurred at about 7 a.m. Tuesday when a silver Toyota pickup traveling on Funny River Road toward Soldotna entered the opposing lane, hit a culvert in a ditch. The impact caused the vehicle to become airborne, rollover and crash through a fence at the Soldotna Airport, said Soldotna Police Sgt. Duane Kant.

Jezorski, the only occupant in the truck, was on his way to work in Nikiksi, Kant said.

No other vehicle was involved and no eyewitnesses saw the accident, Soldotna Police Chief Peter Mylnarik said.

Soldotna Police, Alaska State Troopers and Central Emergency Services responded to the crash within minutes of the report. CES paramedics declared Jerorski deceased on scene. Responders found him underneath the vehicle, partially ejected from the crash. He was not wearing a safety belt, Kant said.

Soldotna police are waiting for toxicology reports but there is no evidence to suggest drug or alcohol may have been a factor in the accident.

The truck was taken to the Soldotna city shop and inspected by Kant and a mechanic before it was released to a towing company. No evidence suggests any mechanical error, he said.

The next of kin had been notified. Kant said the name was withheld Tuesday until an immediate family who was out of the area was contacted. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

CES Health and Safety Officer Brad Nelson said crews responded to two other vehicle rollovers in a 24-hour period. On Monday a vehicle went off the road on Mile 8 of Funny River Road and the driver was transported to Central Peninsula Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. On Tuesday at about 9 a.m. a female driver went into the ditch on Echo Lake Road near the Sterling Highway. She sustained a head injury and was transported to CPH for non-life threatening injuries, Nelson said.

Nelson said the roadways in both incidents didn’t appear to be slick from the recent weather.

“To have that many vehicle rollovers in a short period of time this time of year is an oddity,” Nelson said.

Reach Dan Balmer at daniel.balmer@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion
Pool manager and swim coach Will Hubler leads a treading water exercise at Kenai Central High School on Tuesday.
Pools, theaters, libraries in jeopardy as cuts loom

The district issued “notices of non-retention” to all its pool managers, library aides and theater technicians.

A sockeye salmon is pictured in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Fishing slow on Russian River, improving on Kenai

Northern Kenai fishing report for Tuesday, June 17.

Josiah Kelly, right, appears for a superior court arraignment at the Kenai Courthouse in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchor Point man accepts plea deal for November shootings

Buildings operated by a local health clinic and an addiction recovery nonprofit were targeted.

A demonstrator holds up a sign during the “No Kings” protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at WKFL Park in Homer, Alaska. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Homer hits the streets to say ‘No Kings’

Around 700 gathered locally as part of a nationwide protest.

Brooklyn Coleman, right, staffs The Squeeze Squad lemonade stand during Lemonade Day in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kids learn business skills at annual Lemonade Day

Around 40 stands were strewn around Soldotna, Kenai, Nikiski and Sterling for the event.

Planes are showcased at the Kenai Air Fair in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai fair shows off aircraft of all kinds

Cargo planes to helicopters were on display Saturday.

David Meyer. Photo courtesy of Chantrelle Meyer
Volunteers continue search for missing Happy Valley man

David Meyer was reported missing June 11 while kayaking in Cook Inlet.

Boats at Douglas Harbor under mostly clear skies on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
80°F in Juneau will trigger first-ever National Weather Service heat advisories

Officials say sun’s angle in Alaska makes temperatures feel higher compared to other states.

People carrying flags and signs line the Sterling Highway for a “No Kings” protest in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna ‘No Kings’ protest draws hundreds

The nationwide protest came the same day as a military parade organized at the behest of the Trump administration.

Most Read