Rural Alaska

Western Alaska woman dies in ATV rollover

A 47-year-old woman died this week when her ATV rolled in the Western Alaska village of Golovin, troopers said.

Rachel Olson was last seen leaving her house in Golovin around 5:30 p.m. Monday, according to Alaska State Troopers. Temperatures hovered around minus 15 in the community of about 170 people, 70 miles east of Nome.

Megan Peters, troopers spokeswoman, said Olson's family went out look for her Monday night when she didn't return home. They found her crashed ATV on the side of the road near the Golovin Airport.

The crash was reported to troopers in Nome at 1:43 a.m. Tuesday.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, troopers said. Olson's body was sent to the state medical examiner's office in Anchorage for an autopsy.

Tegan Hanlon

Tegan Hanlon was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News between 2013 and 2019. She now reports for Alaska Public Media.

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