High-speed crash kills man, 72

July 15, 2005

KATE GOLDEN\Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA -- Police Officer Doug Sonerholm clocked the car that ran him off Knik-Goose Bay Road at 12:45 Wednesday morning at around 78 mph, Wasilla Police Chief Don Savage said later that day.

Sonerholm turned around to pursue the SUV. Fifteen seconds later, he saw the 1991 Ford Explorer launch off the road near the MTA Solutions driveway, land and flip onto its roof near Wilson's Video.

Mat-Su Central Fire Department firefighters pulled out the driver, who was identified by a card in his wallet as Ray Wayne Myers, 72, of Wasilla, according to the police press release.

Paramedics from the Wasilla Ambulance Service pulled Myers out, the press release said. They pronounced him dead at the scene.

A full-sized Labrador retriever in the vehicle also died.

Myers' body was taken to the State Medical Examiner's office in Anchorage for an autopsy.

Animal control removed the dog.

Savage said police did not know yet whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

Contact Kate Golden at 352-2284 or kate.golden@frontiersman.com.