An Alakanuk woman was flown to Anchorage with serious injuries after she was struck by a snowmachine Sunday evening, according to Alaska State Troopers. In a Thursday AST dispatch, Emmonak troopers say they were informed of 44-year-old Cecelia Andrews’ injuries just after 8:30 p.m. Sunday by the Alakanuk Police Department. Troopers arrived in Alakanuk Monday to investigate what happened. “Andrews was intoxicated and lying on…the road when she was struck by a snowmachine driven by a 14-year-old Alakanuk girl,” troopers wrote. “Neither the 14-year-old nor her 13-year-old passenger saw Andrews in time to avoid striking the downed woman with the ski of the snowmachine.” AST spokesperson Beth Ipsen says Andrews had been drinking with another person, but apparently stepped outside alone before was struck between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening. “She was drinking homebrew in her house -- she left her house and passed out about 400 yards from her house,” Ipsen said. “It was dark outside and snowy, and Cecelia was wearing dark clothing.” According to Ipsen, the older-model Polaris snowmachine which hit Andrews wasn’t moving at a high rate of speed at the time. “The snowmachine was only going about 15 miles per hour,” Ipsen said. “(Andrews) was passed out in the middle of the road.” Andrews was initially evaluated at the Alakanuk Clinic, but Ipsen says she ended up at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage for treatment of her injuries. “They flew her to Bethel where she was checked out, then they flew her onto Anchorage,” Ipsen said. Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium spokesperson Josh Niva says no patient under Andrews' name is listed at ANMC, a status which may indicate that a patient has been discharged, transferred or deceased.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story, which inaccurately stated that the incident in which Andrews was injured occurred Saturday and was investigated by troopers Sunday, has been corrected.