Wasilla man rescue from ravine off Sterling Highway

Frontiersman.com

SEWARD — A local man was rescued Friday after an eagle-eyed state trooper found him at the bottom of a ravine off the Sterling Highway.

According to an Alaska State Trooper press statement, the story begins with a disconnected 911 call at 12:55 a.m.

“The location of the call was unknown but the cell tower that registered the call was located near mile 75 of the Sterling Highway in Sterling,” according to a trooper press statement.

Dispatchers tried to call the phone back but failed to reach the caller. So, troopers later recounted on Facebook, Trooper Joe Miller of the Cooper Landing Post went to see if he could find the caller. He headed to a stretch of the highway between Mile 60 and Mile 70, which he knew to have weak cellphone reception.

At Mile 62 he spotted some disturbed snow on the side of the road, and when he got out to check, he found Jason Wallace, 36, Wasilla, in an SUV that he’d accidentally driven into a deep ravine. He couldn’t get out because he’d hurt his leg. He also had trauma to his hip and face and was “very cold” according to trooper reports.

Miller gave Wallace some warm clothes while they waited for the ambulance that eventually took him to Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna.

According to the trooper report, Miller, “stated he had been trapped in the ravine for almost 45 minutes. He stated he attempted numerous times to call 911 with no success and had no way to signal passing vehicles for assistance.”

Man cited for illegal tree harvest

PALMER — Alaska State troopers say a Wasilla man illegally cut down trees belonging to the state.

According to a trooper press statement, on Feb. 16 troopers got report that someone had cut the trees. They say they investigated and found Gregory Stigen, of Wasilla, had cut them without a permit.

“Stigen then used a wheeled vehicle in the refuge to transport the trees from the refuge without a permit. Stigen was issued three misdemeanor citations and released at the scene,” according to the press release.

Snowmachiner faces charges for hitting pedestrian

WASILLA — A pedestrian was injured and a snowmachiner criminally charged after a crash Sunday night.

According to a press release from Alaska State troopers, the crash was reported at 11:45 on Sage Road off of Schrock Road north of Wasilla.

“Investigation revealed that Travis Schenker, age 21 of Wasilla was operating a snowmachine in a reckless manner and struck a pedestrian at a high rate of speed causing non life threatening physical injuries to a pedestrian,” according to the press release.

Schenker was summonsed for reckless driving and fourth degree assault.