A 6-year-old from the Southwest Alaska village of Akiachak died on Christmas Eve, three days after being struck by an ATV while he was lying on a trail in the dark, Alaska State Troopers reported.
On Sunday evening around 10:20, Bethel-based troopers were notified of the collision. They were told it involved a boy and an ATV in Akiachak, a community of 675 on the west bank of the Kuskokwim River, about 18 miles from the troopers' post.
Troopers' investigation found that the boy, identified as Zaret Wassilie, was lying down on a built-up ATV trail in the dark when he was struck, they said.
The driver, 18-year-old Asisalyn Jackson, was uninjured along with her two passengers. No foul play is suspected and alcohol was not a factor, troopers said. The boy's family has been notified.
Troopers information officer Beth Ipsen said Wassilie and other children were playing in the trail.
"He was wearing dark clothing and in an area with no lights," she said in an email. "The ATV driver didn't see him until the last minute and didn't have enough time to avoid hitting him."
Wassilie was initially taken to Bethel for treatment but was "eventually transferred to Anchorage," troopers said. He succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.