Car chase included near-miss with patrol car

WASILLA — A high-speed chase up the Parks Highway ended with a driver stuck in the mud, narrowly avoiding a head-on crash with an Alaska State Trooper and facing numerous felonies.

According to troopers, the first attempt to stop Harley Ron Debeaulieau came at 10:22 a.m., Wednesday, when he was seen speeding north on the Parks Highway near Trunk Road in a green 2000 Mazda Protégé.

“The vehicle failed to yield, drove recklessly and traveled in excess of 95 mph,” according to an Alaska State Troopers press statement about the incident. “The vehicle turned onto Old Matanuska Road and nearly struck a trooper head-on in a marked patrol vehicle as he was preparing to deploy stinger spike strips; the vehicle swerved at the last second, avoiding a collision.”

Next, Debeaulieau turned onto Creekside Drive, and then he drove down a power line trail. That’s where the Protégé became stuck in the mud.

“The driver and sole occupant exited the vehicle and started to run,” troopers report.

Troopers caught him and arrested him on charges of assault on a peace officer, eluding arrest, felony drunken driving, reckless driving, driving on a revoked license and violating probation.

That last charge relates to Debeaulieau’s prior arrest for felony DUI, for which he was out on probation.

Troopers say no one was injured and no property damaged during the pursuit.