Palmer man leads authorities on high speed chase

PALMER — Billy Joe Jones went from zero to one hundred, real quick.

A call was made to Alaska State Troopers about a driver slumped over the steering wheel in his parked 1998 Dodge Durango across from the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Inner Springer Loop just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday night. Jones, a 39-year-old Palmer resident, previously had his license revoked and had two felony arrest warrants for a previous eluding conviction and failure to remand for Theft 2 with more than two years of prison time left to serve. Jones was awoken by AST’s contact and then led authorities on a high speed chase. Jones traveled faster than 100 mph toward the Glenn Highway and Parks Highway interchange and led AST patrol units, Wasilla Police, and Criminal Suppression Unit Troopers on a chase toward Walmart. Two main police vehicles gave chase to Jones while another dozen were assisting in the area.

Law enforcement deployed one spike strip in an attempt to stop Jones, with some success. The front passenger tire of the Durango was deflated near the intersection of Fireweed Road and Seward Meridian Parkway, but that did not stop him from running into the 2002 Ford F-150 driven by 50-year-old Joel Varner of Wasilla.

Jones traveled east down Blue Lupine Road and struck Varner at the 5-minute mark of the 18-minute chase before looping back around to lead police west down Fireweed.. Varner only suffered minor injuries. Unable to dodge the Ford, Jones continued his evasive maneuvers, traveling seven to eight miles down Blue Lupine and Fireweed, the frontage roads for the Parks Highway, and eventually turned down Fairview Loop. A mile-and-a-half in, he crashed into a fence off of Edlund Road.

Jones ditched the vehicle, and for 90 minutes Jones ran through forests and backyards, all the while having his location reported to authorities by homeowners in the area.

AST set a perimeter and captured Jones at the end of Clydesdale Loop off Fairview. Following the chase and subsequent arrest, Jones is charged with Felony Eluding, Assault 3, Reckless Driving, Driving While License Revoked, and Leaving the Scene of an Injury Accident. Jones was taken to MSPT without bail. It is unknown if Jones was under the influence of drugs or alcohol prior to or during the chase, as a DUI would only have been a misdemeanor and he was charged with other felonies.

Jones was also issued seven citations totaling $1,410. That included speeding (100 in a posted 55 mph zone), no proof of insurance, two counts of passing unsafely, failure to yield to a steady red light and two counts of failure to stop for a stop sign.

AST officials said thy would like to thank those along Fairview Loop and Edlund Road who updated AST on Jones’ location.