A Homer man is in custody after leading Alaska State Troopers on a long chase Sunday along the Seward Highway near the Hope Junction.
Troopers tried to pull over a driver in an orange 2005 Ford Crown Victoria near Mile 55 of the Seward Highway around 4:55 p.m. Sunday for a traffic violation, according to an online trooper dispatch. The driver, later identified as 21-year-old Reily Arambul, continued north, and troopers began a pursuit, according to the dispatch.
“Alaska State Troopers pursued the vehicle for nearly 20 miles before Troopers ahead of the pursuit deployed spike strips in an attempt to end the pursuit,” the dispatch states.
Arambul swerved to avoid the spike strips and smashed into a guard rail before losing control and hitting a line of cars troopers had stopped to control traffic, according to the dispatch. The vehicle he hit, a black Dodge Durango, in turn hit a 2013 Ford pickup truck, with all three vehicles damaged but no one hurt.
Arambul, however, continued driving southbound on the Seward Highway, with troopers in pursuit, according to the dispatch. The Ford “was disabled” around mile 62 of the Seward Highway and Arambul tried to flee on foot but was captured by troopers, according to the dispatch.
He was arrested on a warrant of a probation violation for an original count of misconduct involving controlled substances in the third degree. Upon arrest, he was additionally charged with a drug-related DUI, failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer in the first degree, reckless driving, four counts of assault in the third degree, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without insurance. His car was impounded and he is being held at the Anchorage Jail, according to the dispatch.
Reach Elizabeth Earl at elizabeth.earl@peninsulaclarion.com.
