FROM THE BLOTTER: Wasilla chase ends in collision with school bus

WASILLA — The accident that tied up traffic on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway for a good portion of rush hour Tuesday afternoon was the result of a police chase that ended with a car crashing into a school bus.

According to an Alaska State Troopers press statement, at 3:31 p.m. a small red car was reported driving recklessly on the highway. Troopers spotted the car heading eastbound close to the Wagon Drive intersection and tried to pull it over, but the car didn’t stop.

Troopers say the car went out of control as it approached Trunk Road and hit the side of a First Student school bus with the driver and one passenger, but no students, on board.

The driver of the car, Rachael Kennedy, 36, of Wasilla, had minor injuries that were treated at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

After her hospital visit she was arrested for felony drunken driving, eluding arrest and driving on a revoked license. She was booked at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility on $5,000 bail and will need to find someone to watch over her before she can be released.

Troopers say Kennedy’s car was totaled and the bus sustained $3,000 worth of damage. Kennedy was the only person injured in the crash. Troopers identified the bus driver as Christopher Titus, 40, of Palmer.

Murder suspect

may be in Valley

MAT-SU — Alaska State Troopers say a man they are hoping to arrest for his involvement in a Fairbanks-area homicide might be in the Valley.

David Robert Pfalmer, 26, was charged last week in the shooting death of Bryan Richardson, 20, of Fairbanks. Troopers say a $300,000 warrant has been issued for his arrest.

“We’ve gotten some loose tips that Mr. Pfalmer may be in the Valley or Anchorage area,” AST Spokeswoman Megan Peters wrote in an e-mail Wednesday afternoon.

The shooting happened March 16 at a Fairbanks business on Goldstream Road, according to trooper reports. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the shooting occurred in the parking lot of Ivory Jack’s bar. Prosecutors believe Pfalmer waited in the car with Richardson but got out before he was shot.

Troopers say a second suspect, Sean Jeffers, turned himself in on March 19. The News-Miner cites charging documents that allege Jeffers and Pfalmer were hanging out earlier in the day, before splitting up.

Pfalmer is white, 5-feet, 8-inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts is asked to call Fairbanks troopers at 451-5100 or dial 911.

Attempted getaway

on snowmachine

is thwarted

BIG LAKE — It started out as a complaint about a man jumping his snowmachine off of someone’s dock and ended up with a laundry list of criminal charges for an Anchorage snowmachiner.

According to a trooper press statement, at 3:59 p.m. Sunday, officers were called to Big Lake where they quickly identified the snowmachine in question and tried to pull it over.

“The snowmachine failed to yield and drove recklessly while eluding troopers,” according to the report.

Eventually troopers caught sight of the snowmachine at a home on Mud Lake and they talked to its owner, Bernard “Todd” Harris, 45, of Anchorage.

“Investigation revealed that Harris forced his way into the complainant’s residence on Big Lake and assaulted the homeowners. Harris then drove his snowmachine at the residents who were standing outside forcing them to jump out of the way.”

Troopers estimate the damage to the dock at $1,000.

Harris was arrested and charged with burglary, assault, criminal mischief, eluding arrest, reckless driving and evidence tampering.

Harris was jailed at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility on $10,000 bail. Jail records Thursday morning showed he was still there.

E-mail confession lands Valley teen

in hot water

WASILLA — Alaska State Troopers say an e-mail from a 16-year-old girl landed her in juvenile detention charged with vandalizing and breaking into a local elementary school.

According to a trooper press statement, officers were called to the school on March 20 and March 22, first for a report of vandalism and then for a report of a burglary.

Troopers say that the school later let them know it had received an e-mail from a girl claiming responsibility for the crimes. They turned the e-mail over to the troopers’ Cyber Crimes Unit, which traced the IP address to a home in Wasilla.

The 16-year-old girl was not named in the press release — generally troopers only release the names of adults. They say she was booked into the Mat-Su Youth Facility without bail.