By SUZANNE DOWNING
July 25, 2026 – Former Anchorage Assembly member and retired teacher Karen Bronga died Friday in a head-on collision on the Sterling Highway that seriously injured one driver and closed the highway for approximately eight hours.
Bronga, 64, was a passenger in a northbound motor home when it was struck by a southbound Dodge pickup near Mile 62 in the Skilak Lake area, according to the Alaska State Troopers.
Troopers were notified of the collision at 1:36 pm Friday. A preliminary investigation determined that the pickup drifted into the northbound lane and struck the oncoming motor home.
Bronga, an Anchorage resident, was declared dead at the scene. Her next of kin were notified, and her body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
The adult male driving the motor home was transported to a Kenai Peninsula hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening. The adult female driving the pickup suffered serious injuries and was flown to an Anchorage hospital.
The Sterling Highway was closed in both directions for approximately eight hours while investigators documented the scene and crews removed the damaged vehicles and debris, which was extensive enough to require Dumpsters to be brought on site.
Bronga was a retired Anchorage School District teacher who represented East Anchorage on the Anchorage Assembly from 2023 to 2025.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Troopers said alcohol does not appear to have been a factor.
