Alaska State troopers reported on Tuesday that during a Monday night encounter with a 2000 maroon Ford pickup truck, stopped for a traffic violation on the Parks Highway, the driver attempted to pepper spray to trooper, before racing off and taking the trooper on a chase for over 72 miles.

A trooper on patrol conducted a traffic stop on the Ford pickup at mile 67 of the Parks Highway in Willow. When contacted the driver of the vehicle, later identified as 25-year-old Logan Austin, and the passenger in the vehicle, later identified as 23-year-old Sandra Austin, gave the trooper false names.

While the trooper was investigating the driver’s identity, he had the driver step out of the vehicle. That was when Logan Austin pulled out a can of pepper spray and attempted to disable the trooper. Immediately after, Logan climbed back into his vehicle and fled at high speed down the highway.

As Logan and his passenger raced Down the Highwayhim him him him him, Logan turned the wheel over to his passenger Sandra Austin, crawled into the bed of the pickup truck, and began throwing “heavy tools and items out” of the truck at the pursuing officer, then crawled back into the cab and retook the wheel.[xyz-ihs snippet=”adsense-body-ad”]

“Another trooper was contacted to attempt to intercept the eluding vehicle,” the trooper dispatch reported. “Spike strips were successfully deployed” at mile post 104.5, 37 1/2 miles from where the chase began. When the pickup encountered to strips, both the front and back left-hand side tires were deflated. Despite this, Logan continued to drive for another 35 miles on the rims.

Finally, at mile 139.5 Of the highway, Logan crashed the pickup in the ditch. Neither Logan nor Sandra Austin were injured in the crash. Both were transported to Palmer, where they were remanded to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility with no bail set. 

Logan Austin was found to have a $20,000 arrest warrant, and both Austins had parole violations for felony theft. Logan was charged with Felony Failure to Stop at the Direction of an Officer, False Information, Assault III and IV, Reckless Driving, and numerous minor violations. Sandra Austin was charged with Felony Failure to Stop the Direction of an Officer, Reckless Driving, and False Information.

Both were arraigned in Palmer court on Tuesday morning.

  Alaska, austin, car chase, crime, logan, parks highway, pepper spray, sandra