Police said 47-year-old Heidi Lubke, a nurse at O'Malley Elementary School, was declared dead at the scene. She was alone in the car, which wasn't found until at least six hours after the accident.
The car was discovered in a wooded area along the 11100 block of Hillside Drive, not far from the road's intersection with O'Malley Road.
Speed appears to have been a factor in the crash, police said.
Lubke had been reported missing at about 1 a.m. Saturday by an acquaintance when he lost sight of her vehicle as they were driving in separate cars after a social gathering, police said.
Three officers drove to the Hillside -- foggy, at the time -- after the report to search for Lubke's vehicle but did not find anything, said police spokeswoman Anita Shell.
The car was discovered by a Hillside Drive resident fetching the newspaper at about 7:15 a.m. The resident saw marks in her driveway and followed them across a neighbor's driveway into nearby trees.
Lubke's 2001 Saab was about 100 feet into the woods on the east side of the road, police said.
The vehicle had launched into the trees with "tremendous impact" and it was "completely crushed," Shell said.
Police said they believe Lubke was traveling 90 to 100 miles per hour when her car crashed.
Police said the Saab flew 80 to 100 feet in the air when it left the roadway. The impact snapped a few trees off mid-trunk.
Police said an autopsy will be conducted to determine the precise cause of Lubke's death.
The Anchorage police traffic unit likely will take over the case and interview people through the week, Shell said.
Anchorage School District Superintendent Carol Comeau said school staff members are devastated by the loss of a valued colleague and local school parent.
"She was a well-regarded nurse and will be sorely missed," Comeau said.
Comeau said a psychologist will be available for anyone at the elementary school who needs counseling on Monday. Also, she said, a notification will be sent home with kids that day for their parents.
"Everybody that knew (Heidi) loved her. She loved her children very much. She was very passionate about life," said her ex-husband, Bill Lubke.
He said he and Heidi moved to Alaska 11 years ago. Previously a nurse in the military, she became a school nurse in 2003, he said. "That worked really good for her -- she could be there for the girls," he said.
Lubke's four children are between 14 and 21. She was a volleyball mom at Service High School and was active in the Hillside O'Malley Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Bill Lubke said. Her daughters were at a sleep-over when the accident occurred.
"We've had an outpouring of friends here this morning. It's a testimony to Heidi and the impact she made on the community and the people who knew her," he said.
Find Elizabeth Bluemink online at adn.com/contact/ebluemink or call 257-4317.
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