A 32-year-old Kalskag man died Sunday in an alcohol-related snowmachine accident, troopers say.
Floyd Nook, who was not wearing a helmet, died from head injuries, according to the report. The death follows a string of drunken-driving arrests or investigations of people riding snowmachines.
Troopers got word of the accident, three miles upriver from Kalskag, at about 1 a.m. Nook’s passenger, 35-year-old Josephine Morgan, was flown to Bethel for treatment of injuries to her leg and neck.
Before seeing this report, I’d been making a list of recent snowmachine DUIs, which have been appearing a lot lately in trooper reports.
Here are the arrests/reports from this month:
April 3
-- EKWOK: 43-year-old Bobby Blunka, of New Stuyahok, is arrested for a DUI and third-degree assault after the village public safety officer looks into reports of drunken driving.
Troopers say: “Investigation revealed that Blunka was operating a snow machine while intoxicated, and a passenger on the snowmachine, a 42-year-old female from New Stuyahok, was thrown from the vehicle, which resulted in serious injury.”
April 4
-- KIANA: At about 7 p.m., Kotzebue troopers get a report of an intoxicated man driving a snowmachine. A Kiana police officer makes contact with him, “but the male drove away at a high rate of speed and almost struck 2 children with the snowmachine. The suspect has been identified and investigation is continuing.”
April 5
-- TOK: Troopers found 27-year-old Billy K. Sam, of Tetlin, on a snowmachine at the Tok minimart and arrest him for drunken driving. His blood-alchol level: 0.165.
April 11
-- ANIAK: Timothy Gregory, 38, is arrested for drinking and driving a snowmachine. He pleaded guilty at arraignment.
-- NEW STUYAHOK: Troopers arrested Eva Chunak, 32, for driving an ATV while intoxicated.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.
