Man jailed after police chase

WASILLA — A high-speed chase through the neighborhoods north of town landed a Wasilla man in jail Wednesday.

According to an affidavit Alaska State Trooper Sgt. Dave Herrell filed in the case against Don Ray Thronsen, 48, the chase began on Church Road near Schrock Road at 10:15 p.m. with an attempt to pull over a black Dodge Durango for not having the lights illuminated on its rear license plate.

“The driver, who was later positively identified by his Alaska picture ID card as Don Ray Thronsen, made a right hand turn onto Schrock Road and traveled eastbound reaching speeds of 82 mph in a posted 45 mph speed zone,” Herrell writes.

Thronsen also went into the oncoming lane.

“Thronsen made a left turn onto Grizzly Bear Street and was fishtailing through the neighborhood recklessly,” Herrell writes.

When he tried to make a right turn onto Wasilla-Fishhook Road, he stopped. Just in time, too, as Herrell writes that Wasilla Police Department officers were “staged and ready with spike strips.”

Thronsen was arrested at the scene, charged with failure to stop for a peace officer, driving on a revoked license and reckless driving. He was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for drug misconduct. He was jailed without a bail amount set at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility. As of Friday afternoon he was still lodged there.