The teen suffered brain bruising, lacerations and a broken hand after the Oct. 26 crash in Anchorage, Alaska

NEED TO KNOW

• An Alaska teenager is recovering after hitting a moose while driving down an icy road
• Mother Megan Stone shared that her daughter, 18-year-old Autumn, suffered brain bruising, lacerations and a broken hand after the Oct. 26 crash in Anchorage
• Firefighters used multiple crews to free the teen from her severely damaged car

An Alaska teenager is recovering in an intensive care unit after hitting a moose while driving down an icy road.

Speaking with KTUU, mother Megan Stone recounted the moment last week on Anchorage’s Minnesota Drive that left her daughter, 18-year-old Autumn, with serious injuries.

Stone shared that Autumn was driving home on Monday, Oct. 26, near the road’s Raspberry exit when a moose appeared in front of her car — and she believes her daughter did not have time to brake.

Firefighters who arrived at the scene found Autumn’s car severely damaged, and several crews were deployed to cut her out of the vehicle, per KTUU.

As of Wednesday, Oct. 28, Stone shared that her daughter was still in the ICU, with bruising to her brain, lacerations and a broken hand.

According to Stone, photos of the wreck were “horrifying” to see.

“But I’m also grateful, because I can put into context just how close we were to losing her,” she said.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports that the state faces the highest rates of moose-vehicle collisions in the world.

Officials recommend that all drivers in areas with large moose populations slow down in severe weather such as rain, snow and fog. They also advise drivers to keep a lookout for moose on the sides of the road, as female moose often have calves nearby, and to keep an ample distance from other cars.

Fish and Game biologist Cory Stantorf told KTUU that there are usually about 100 moose-vehicle collisions in the Anchorage area each year, and those incidents are often at their peak in the winter months.

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“Not only do we have moose moving because of the rut, following cows, we are also doing that morning commute in the pitch-black, kids are going to school in the pitch-black, and there’s not a lot of contrast without snow to illuminate these moose,” Stantorf explained.

Additionally, Anchorage firefighter Jason Dolph told the outlet that collisions with moose on highways can be even more dangerous.

When a moose lands on a car at high speeds, “and, in this case, landed on the hood and kind of the windshield and roof area,” Dolph said, “we see forces of 30 to 40,000 pounds being put onto that car.”

Despite the harrowing incident, Stone said Autumn is lucky to be alive.

“That’s what we’ve been hearing this entire ordeal, from the EMTs to the doctors,” she told KTUU. “They are amazed that she’s alive.”

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