FROM THE BLOTTER: 2 Anchorage snowmachiners rescued

Alaska State Troopers and a local snowmachine search and rescue group responded to a 911 call Saturday night from a snowmachiner who needed assistance.

Randy G. Marsh, 58, of Anchorage called MatCom at 9:21 p.m. to report that he and his friend, Roger O. Hackett, 63, also of Anchorage, were riding on the Willow side of Hatcher Pass when Hackett’s machine got stuck in a canyon, according to trooper reports.

Marsh told dispatchers they left both snowmachines behind and had been separated as they walked out for help.

Troopers dispatched Helo I and a local snowmachine search and rescue group, which located the two men in the Lucky Shot Gold Mine area around 11:49 p.m.

The two were transported to the Hatcher Pass parking lot. Neither required medical attention, according to trooper reports.

Knik River Road car crash, fire kills driver

BUTTE — Alaska State Troopers are investigating a car crash and vehicle fire that killed a person March 23.

According to a trooper press statement, the crash on Knik River Road was called in at 8:43 p.m. Troopers who arrived on scene found the vehicle completely engulfed in flames and a person inside the vehicle was dead.

The trooper report does not identify the deceased and says troopers are investigating “the circumstances leading up to the collision.”

Motorist waved gun to scare another driver

WASILLA — Alaska State Troopers arrested a Wasilla motorist after the driver allegedly waved a gun at someone he was trying to pass on Knik-Goose Bay Road.

Troopers were summoned to Mile 10 Knik-Goose Bay Road on March 18 at 6:10 p.m. where they talked to a man and his family, according to an affidavit Trooper Joseph Hess filed in the case.

The man said the driver of a Chevy Silverado had tried to pass him twice and on the second successful attempt he brandished a pistol.

The man gave troopers a license plate number and they found the vehicle was registered to Melvin Lee, 51, of Wasilla. They went to his house.

“Lee stated he had attempted to pass a black Chevrolet Avalanche,” Hess wrote. “The other vehicle attempted to speed up to keep him from passing.”

So, as he pulled alongside the Avalanche, Lee told troopers he pulled a Glock 30 semi-automatic pistol from his center console and waved it around.

“Lee stated he pulled the firearm because he wanted to scare the other driver,” Hess wrote.

He was apparently successful. The man and his wife both reported they feared getting shot. Lee was jailed at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility, charged with two counts of assault. Jail records March 24 morning showed he had since made bail.

Trooper hits man with vehicle

PALMER — Alaska State Troopers say one of their officers had a low-speed accident with a pedestrian March 23.

According to a trooper press statement, the trooper involved, James Streicher, 43, of Wasilla, was working traffic control at a house fire on Sun Valley Road in Palmer. While traveling at low speeds, he backed his 2009 Ford Expedition patrol vehicle into William West, 63, of Palmer who was walking on the side of the road at the time.

Troopers say medics treated West for minor injuries on scene and that he then left the area. Streicher was not hurt and the Expedition was not damaged.

— Andrew Wellner