(Palmer, AK) – Last week, a Palmer jury convicted a Houston woman of assaulting a construction flagger near Mile 89 of the Parks Highway and another Palmer jury convicted a man of assaulting flaggers near mile 100 of the Parks Highway

On Oct. 15, Summer Powers-Vogt, 43, was found guilty of felony Assault in the Third Degree, and of Disobeying an Officer Directing Traffic, among other charges. A flagger working near Sheep Creek Lodge testified that on July 28, 2023, Powers-Vogt drove her vehicle at the flagger after refusing to stop. The vehicle drove into a ditch to avoid a truck before continuing through the construction site and leaving the scene. Troopers later found the driver and vehicle in Houston. Powers-Vogt faces a maximum sentence of two years for the highest offense charged.

On Oct. 18, 2024, another Palmer jury found 65-year-old John Peter Stefanski, who is a Talkeetna resident, guilty of assaulting two flaggers near mile 100 of the Parks Highway. Stefanski was found guilty of two felony Assault in the Third-Degree charges. In July of 2018, a construction flagger reported that Stefanski failed to stop when directed to do so. Stefanski drove in a reckless manner toward two different flaggers, one of which was hit by his truck but was uninjured. Stefanski also faces up to two years for each charge.

Both Powers-Vogt and Stefanski testified in their trials that they had worked previously as roadside flaggers.

The Palmer District Attorney’s Office asks that the community help keep everyone safe in construction zones by always following the directions of roadside flaggers.

Contact: On the Powers-Vogt case, contact Kerry Korliss, Deputy District Attorney at (907) 761-5648 and on the Stefanski case contact Jordyn Caldwell, Assistant District Attorney at (907) 761-5679.

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  assault, convictions, flaggers, parks highway, stefanski, vogt