The Anchorage Police Department reported that as “an APD officer was traveling inbound on the Glenn Highway, between the Birchwoods, when he observed a Ford Taurus approaching him from behind at over 100 miles per hour,” it was revealed on Nixle.

The patrol vehicle took a radar reading at 9:14 pm on Wednesday night and confirmed that the vehicle had been traveling at 111 mph in a 65mph zone.

The officer initiated a traffic stop and contacted the driver, who was identified as 39-year-old Shawn Bannister of Anchorage. The officer determined that Bannister was driving under the influence and observed a nine-year-old child unrestrained in the back seat of the vehicle.

Prior to the traffic stop, officers had been flagged down by a motorist, who reported that as he was traveling inbound in the middle lane on the Glenn Highway, he was overtaken by a truck traveling in the left lane. As the truck was passing, a Taurus sped up on them from behind, and cut dangerously between the truck and the witness. As he did so, he threw what the witness believed was a can, out of his window. The object struck the witnesses windshield, chipping the glass.

Bannister was arrested and charged with DUI, Speeding, Failure to Properly Secure a Child and Reckless Endangerment and transported to the Anchorage Jail for remand.

The child was unharmed and picked up by a family member.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

  Anchorage, child, dui, glenn highway, police, reckless endangerment, shawn bannister, speeding, traffic stop