Willow legislator fined $1,000

PALMER -- After drinking a couple beers at his residence last week, Richard Brown, 52, got into his 1995 Plymouth Voyager and drove to a friend's house off Mile 49.5 Parks Hwy. Once there, Brown's friend reportedly asked him to go pick up some rock cocaine. On the way, according to court records, Brown hit and killed 16-year-old William Nollner.

An affidavit filed with charging documents in Palmer Superior Court by Alaska State Troopers stated that Brown thought he saw legs when his vehicle struck Nollner on Bogard Road, but he wasn't sure if they were moose legs or human legs. The windshield and a headlight shattered from the impact, according to court records, and Brown punched a hole in the windshield so he could see to drive. He turned around and drove back through the area but reportedly said he could not see what he might have hit.

Brown returned to his friend's house off the Parks Highway and told him he might have hit someone. The two returned to the scene but immediately left when they saw police cars, according to the affidavit. Brown reportedly went back to his friend's house and started drinking, and did not attempt to contact anyone about the accident.

The next day, Sept. 5, Brown returned to his residence and heard people talking about the hit and run death of Nollner. He called a friend, Corey Jackson, and asked him what had happened on Bogard Road, according to charging documents, and Jackson told him a boy had been killed. Brown then reportedly hung up and began drinking again. After a little while, Brown called back and told Jackson to come get him and take him to the police because he thought he was the one who hit the boy, the affidavit stated.

Troopers found Brown's 1995 white Plymouth Voyager outside his residence. The vehicle had a missing headlight, shattered windshield and a dent in the hood with several blood spots on it. Headlight fragments collected at the scene matched missing fragments on the vehicle, troopers reported.

According to court records, Brown's license was revoked in January for driving under the influence, his third drunken driving arrest since 1993. Brown was not supposed to be able to drive until 2007.

Contact John Davidson at john.davidson@frontiersman.

com.