Troopers: Tool-throwing thieves fled traffic stop

WASILLA — A man and woman led troopers on a 70-mile chase involving pepper spray and thrown tools Monday night, authorities said.

When Alaska State Troopers conducted a traffic stop on a 2000 maroon Ford pickup in the Willow Area about 9:45 p.m., the driver and passenger allegedly gave false names. When the trooper asked the driver to step out of the vehicle to further investigate the driver’s identity, the driver, later identified as Logan Austin, 25, of Fairbanks allegedly produced a can of pepper spray and tried to spray the trooper. Logan Austin and his passenger, Sandra Austin, 23, also of Fairbanks, then fled at a high rate of speed along the Parks Highway, according to an troopers press release.

After about 30 miles, Sandra Austin took control of the vehicle while Logan Austin climbed onto the back of the truck and began throwing heavy tools and other items at the pursuing trooper. Eventually, Logan Austin climbed back into the driver’s seat and resumed driving, troopers wrote in an online dispatch.

Troopers said they deployed spike strops to stop the couple at about mile marker 104.5, and Logan Austin continued down the road on rims for an additional 35 miles, until the truck crashed into a ditch at about Mile Marker 139.5

Troopers reported no injuries, and took both Logan and Sandra Austin into custody without further incident. They were transported to Mat-Su Pretrial without bail because of probation violations. Logan Austin was also wanted on a $20,000 warrant for parole violations stemming from alleged parole violations in a 2014 theft case. Sandra Austin allegedly violated parole on a 2014 vehicle theft case in Wasilla, according to court documents.

Here’s what troopers wrote about the incident: https://dps.alaska.gov/dailydispatch/Home/DisplayIncident?incidentNumber=AK16023861

Both Logan and Sandra Austin remained in Mat-Su Pretrial Tuesday evening.