A Whitehorse woman trapped in her vehicle after a rollover early this morning has an off-duty RCMP officer to thank for her timely rescue, but herself to blame for rolling in the first place.

Cpl. Dwayne Latham had just arrived home from Edmonton on the late-night flight and was driving toward Wolf Creek on the Alaska Highway, when he noticed a vehicle that had left the highway and rolled a number of times.

He later told his fellow officers that he'd initially thought the rollover might have been already reported and dealt with, but decided to stop to investigate.

He found a 19-year-old woman trapped in the vehicle, which had filled with snow during the roll-over.

"We don't believe she was there too long, based on people who had been past that spot shortly before,” spokesman Sgt. Don Rogers said today.

Latham called in the ambulance and fire department to assist him.

Meanwhile, three travellers also stopped to help. Two of them lived nearby and went to get shovels.

Latham and a third person began shovelling snow out by hand to get to the woman.

Paramedics and Whitehorse Fire and Rescue arrived, and the woman was extricated from the vehicle. The female driver and sole occupant was taken to Whitehorse General Hospital, where she was examined and released into RCMP custody.

Police said today they believe the woman had been drinking. She provided breath samples and was later released on a promise to appear.

She cannot be identified until she has appeared in court.

She will likely face charges of impaired driving, Rogers said.

The RCMP want to remind drivers to not drink and drive, and that December marks the beginning of the annual check-stop program.