A woman survived a hit-and-run collision in Dillingham on October 29. Police have arrested a suspect.
Venita Flensburg suffered severe injuries, including fractures in her face and injury to her legs, according to a charging document filed in the case. Flensburg is now recovering in Anchorage.
“She is in good spirits as she starts her long road to recovery,” Flensburg’s family said in an email to KDLG. Her family wrote that Flensburg was medevaced to Anchorage the night of the collision.
"Once in Anchorage, Venita endured a grueling four-hour surgery with multiple surgeons operating together to give her the best care possible," they wrote. The family said Flensburg now has metal plates on the underside and side of her left eye socket, fractured ribs, a fractured elbow, and multiple large lacerations to her legs that are being treated with sutures and staples.
Dillingham police have charged 33-year-old Branden Kozachenko for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident with injuries involving a vehicle as that vehicle’s driver and not reporting the accident.
According to the Dillingham Rescue Squad, emergency medical personnel received a call at about 2 a.m. on October 29. They arrived to find Flensburg, who had been on foot, had been hit by a vehicle and was unconscious and bleeding from the mouth. An ambulance transported Flensburg to Kanakanak Hospital.
The charges say officers used footage from security cameras at the nearby bar, The Willow Tree, to identify possible vehicles involved in the collision.
On October 30, they located a vehicle registered to the suspect that resembled a vehicle seen in the security footage. Police documented fresh scratches and damage on the vehicle. After multiple interviews, they arrested Kozachenko, according to the charges.
Kozachekno’s bail is set to $2000.
Flensburg’s family and friends are raising money to support her recovery through a GoFundMe page. They wrote that Flensburg wants to thank the Dillingham community for their unconditional support and love, that she has no grudges, and that she’s happy to be alive and go home to her children.
Get in touch with the author at christina@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
