The driver of a red Pontiac Bonneville made good on his escape from a traffic stop on the Kenai Spur Highway for a time but was ultimately remanded to the Wildwood Pretrial Facility on Saturday afternoon, troopers report.

AST conducted a traffic stop on the Pontiac at 2:38 pm on Saturday for a speeding violation at mile 15 of the Spur Highway in Nikiski. Instead of stopping, the driver continued north on the roadway recklessly passing vehicles on the right while exceeding speeds of 100 mph in his attempt to elude the K9 Unit.

The initial chase came to an end when the driver pulled onto Malaitna Avenue and came to a stop. Although stopping, the driver, identified as 34-year-old Nick Leon Sacaloff of Soldotna, refused to exit the vehicle and K9 ‘Donna’ was deployed.

But, Sacaloff wasn’t finished yet. He drove off from the scene and traveled 100 yards to the intersection where his vehicle broke down at the intersection of Malaitna and Tarawa Street. Sacaloff jumped from the moving vehicle and fled into the woods troopers reported.

Soldotna-based State and Wildlife Troopers, as well as officers from the Kenai Police Department, established a perimeter and a K9 search was initiated but unsuccessful. His vehicle was impounded.

Three hours later Wildlife troopers returning from beach patrol spotted a hitchhiker at mile 23 of the Kenai Spur. Sacaloff was identified as the fleeing suspect sought earlier and so took him into custody without incident.

He was remanded to the Wildwood Pretrial Facility and held without bail pending arraignment.

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