Palmer man dies in rollover

BIG LAKE Alaska State Troopers say a man found Sunday strapped to the driver's seat in his overturned Chevrolet Blazer may have died due to causes unrelated to the crash.

“We suspect some type of medical issue like a heart attack due to the lack of damage to the vehicle and the lack of trauma to the body,” said trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters. “If he didn't die of some sort of internal issue he would have survived the wreck, most likely.”

She said troopers suspect the medical calamity occurred as Russell Gene Findorff, 54, of Palmer, was driving and may have caused him to drive off the road.

According to a trooper press statement, a passerby noticed the overturned SUV sometime around 3 p.m. Sunday. Troopers were called to respond at 3:16 p.m. There is no word on whether troopers know how long the Blazer was there before the passerby noticed it.

Findorff had apparently been northbound on Beaver Lakes Road when his Blazer veered off the right shoulder and over a frozen creek. The Blazer skidded sideways and rolled onto its top 150 feet from the road.

“His vehicle went off the road, over the creek, and came to rest in the woods on the other side,” Peters said.

When troopers found him his seatbelt was still strapping him to the driver's seat.

Troopers say medics noticed what might have been signs of life and Findorff was taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. At 4:05 p.m. he was declared dead.

Peters said that the exact medical malady that likely caused Findorff to veer off the road will not be uncovered until an autopsy is complete. The autopsy will also let them know whether alcohol played a role.

“We won't know if Mr. Findorff was impaired until after the toxicology reports come back. Certainly we have our suspicions,” Peters said.