Car thief who caused crash still on the run

WASILLA — Law enforcement is looking for a thief who stole a car and eventually caused a collision involving an Alaska State Trooper patrol car.

According to a trooper press statement, at 11:47 p.m. Saturday, Trooper Mitch Lewis with the Bureau of Highway Patrol spotted a 1993 Buick speeding southbound on Church Road.

The Buick was behind the trooper, so the trooper pulled over, let him pass, then pulled back out and flipped on his lights and siren.

But the Buick didn’t stop. Troopers say about a minute after the pursuit began, the Buick ran the red light at Church and Parks Highway, nearly hitting another vehicle. The driver he missed, Loretta Overway, 31, of Houston, slammed on her brakes.

She didn’t get stopped quickly enough for Lewis, who was unable to stop, and smashed into Overway, troopers report.

The Buick kept going. Troopers later found it ditched in the parking lot of the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center. The driver and his passenger had apparently fled on foot.

Troopers from multiple divisions of the organization, a police dog and Wasilla police officers combed the area with no success.

Troopers were unable to contact the Buick’s owner until Sunday, at which point they found out the car had been stolen Saturday night from a home off South Mack Road.

Lewis was treated at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center for a minor head injury and released Saturday night. Overway was unhurt. Troopers estimate damage to the patrol car at $2,000. Overway’s vehicle sustained $1,000 damage.

Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said Thursday afternoon that so far the case is still under investigation and no arrests have been made.

—Andrew Wellner