Crime & Courts

A Southeast Alaska teen arrived home with a dead wolf. His father called troopers.

A teenage driver rammed his vehicle into a pack of wolves on a Prince of Wales Island road, killing one of them, troopers said.

The incident happened south of the Southeast Alaska community of Coffman Cove on Sept. 4. 

The 17-year-old, unnamed in a dispatch because he is a juvenile, was driving near the town when he encountered a pack of wolves on the dirt road, according to Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters.

"The teen hit two," Peters wrote. "One was dead and the teen brought it home. The other reportedly ran off with the pack."

[Feds reject endangered listing for Prince of Wales Island wolves]

When the teenager brought home the dead wolf, his father called troopers.

Troopers investigated the scene and interviewed a passenger in the vehicle, concluding that the teen had intentionally rammed into the wolves.

Charges of reckless driving, taking wolves during closed season and illegal methods of taking big game were filed against the teen on Oct. 22.

Michelle Theriault Boots

Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers up and down the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon.

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