Man faces 5 charges after fleeing

PALMER -- A 43-year-old Wasilla man was jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail Tuesday after leading Alaska State Troopers on a chase that ended when the truck he was driving ran over a spike strip put down by troopers.

David L. Lancaster was charged with felony eluding, felony driving while intoxicated, refusal to take a breath test, driving with a revoked license, and misconduct involving a weapon. Court documents show he was convicted of DUI in 1993, 1997 and 2002, and that his license is revoked until December 2006.

Charging documents said Lancaster ran a stop sign just before 7 p.m. Tuesday at Financial Drive and Palmer-Wasilla Extension. Troopers gave chase as Lancaster drove a 1986 Ford truck toward Knik-Goose Bay Road on the Palmer-Wasilla Extension, then turned onto KGB Road heading toward Parks Highway, charging documents said.

"The suspect vehicle ran a steady red light and continued across the Parks Highway onto Main Street before turning onto Swanson Road," Trooper Edward Halbert said in an affidavit.

Lancaster went back to the Parks Highway and turned north toward Big Lake, Halbert said, as a trooper vehicle pursued him and another trooper set down a spike strip at Mile 44.5 Parks Highway.

With his front tires blown out, Lancaster stopped a half-mile after driving over the strip and was apprehended by troopers, who found that he had a spring-loaded knife, charging documents said. He was arrested and placed in handcuffs without incident, troopers said, adding he was the only person in the truck.

Charging documents said Lancaster had an odor of alcohol on his breath, as well as blood-shot and watery eyes, slurred speech, and poor balance. He registered a .091 percent blood-alcohol content at 9:29 p.m. Tuesday after refusing the test at 8:57 p.m., according to charging documents.

Lancaster was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Palmer District Court. He is scheduled to appear in court again today for a pre-indictment hearing. Failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $50,000.