During the early morning hours on Friday, APD dispatch received a REDDI report informing police of a hit-and-run collision at the intersection of Benson Boulevard and the New Seward Highway.

As patrol was responding to the scene of the hit-and-run, several more drivers called into dispatch reporting the same REDDI driver after he turned west onto Northern lights Boulevard.

One caller remained back at a safe distance and stayed on the phone with dispatch keeping them updated on the location of the suspect driver. With the help of that caller, police were able to locate the vehicle, a Ford Escort, as it approached the intersection of Northern lights Boulevard and Minnesota Drive. At the intersection, the vehicle stopped and the driver got out and attempted to walk away but officers interceded and took him into custody.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]The investigation at the hit-and-run scene would reveal that the driver, later identified as 49-year-old Paul Canfield, had crashed into the rear end of a Toyota RAV as it was stopped at the intersection of Benson Boulevard and the New Seward Highway causing minor injuries to that driver before fleeing at a high rate of speed and turning onto Northern lights.

After testing, officers would determine that Canfield “had a blood alcohol content almost 3 times the legal limit,” APD reported. As a result, Canfield was charged with operating under the influence. He also faces multiple additional charges as the hit-and-run investigation continues, police report.

  arrest, benson, crash, dui, hit and run, minnesota, new seward, northern lights, paul canfield, reddi