Fairbanks police say 37 year-old Lije Charlie Junior died of a skull fracture and heavy internal bleeding at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. Charlie was found unconscious in Fairbanks early Saturday, he died late Sunday. Police Detective Aaron Ring says the initial police call was for a very drunk person lying on a sidewalk. His severe injuries were discovered at the Fairbanks hospital. Ring says Charlie had a blood alcohol level of 0.4, which is four times the legal limit for driving.
Ring says there's no indication of foul play in the case.
Charlie was found without any identification or wallet, but money was discovered stuffed in his shoe. The summer city that springs up each season along the Parks Highway at the entrance to Denali National Park is attracting the attention of planners. The problem is that the Alaska Range restricts the highway to the narrow canyon cut by the Nenana River. The head of the planning panel says several road options are being considered. One plan calls for moving the Parks about 150 feet east onto mostly undeveloped land.