Man indicted on manslaughter

PALMER — A grand jury has indicted a Wasilla man in a three-vehicle Glenn Highway crash that killed one and injured four others in March, court documents show.

Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said investigators believe drug use played a role in the wreck.

Trenton Shepersky, 22, faces charges of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and third-degree assault for the crash. Alaska State Troopers said at the time of the wreck that Shepersky was driving a 2008 Chevy Colorado south near Mile 31, Glenn Highway about 6 p.m., March 12 when the pickup left the southbound lanes, crossed the median, and struck a motor home carrying four tourists and a van driven by Palmer Judicial Services Officer Jeremy Doty.

Killed in the crash was 26-year-old French national Camille J. Plancher, a passenger in the motor home. The driver of the motor home, Alex Violet, 27, of France, two other passengers, Misa Shimiza, 25, of Japan, and Beryl Vigneri, 30, of British Columbia, were injured in the crash and treated at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

Plancher, Violet, Vigneri, and Shimiza were travelling together as tourists when the collision occurred. Doty was returning to Palmer while on duty in a state-owned van.

Doty received minor injuries. Shepersky was flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.

Presiding Judge Eric Smith had issued a $50,000 warrant for Shepersky’s arrest Thursday, according to court documents. Charges were filed Friday.

Shepersky’s Facebook profile says he is painter at 1 Precision Painting.

Shepersky’s court file contained only several copies of the indictment and a notice that the warrant had been issued.

No further court appearances were listed on CourtView Monday afternoon.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.