Alaska State Troopers and the Wasilla Police Department took a Palmer man into custody after a high-speed car chase and a protracted search through the Fairview Loop/Edlund Road area on Tuesday night, AST reported on the trooper dispatch.

It was at 8:51 pm Tuesday night that troopers encountered 39-year-old Billy Joe Jones “slumped over the wheel and not responsive,” during a suspicious vehicle check on Inner Springer Loop in Palmer.

But, minutes later, Jones awoke from his stupor and fled in his white Dodge Durango at a high rate of speed southbound on the Glenn Highway while troopers gave chase. Traveling at speeds over 100 miles an hour, Jones left the  Glenn Highway onto the Parks Highway towards Wasilla.

WPD, the Criminal Suppression Unit, and troopers converged and attempted to deploy spike strips as Jones “continued driving recklessly on frontage roads and eventually WPD successfully deployed spikes on Fireweed Road near Wasilla Wal-Mart which deflated the front passenger tire,” AST reported.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adversal-468×60″]Even partially disabled, Jones ran through a red light and crashed into a 2002 Ford F-150 driven by 50-year-old Joel Varner, Varner suffered minor injuries in the collision, as Jones continued on his flight from justice.

The car chase continued for 7-8 more miles down Blue Lupine, Fireweed and Fairview Loop and was only ended when Jones crashed his Durango through a fence. But, Jones wasn’t yet ready to give up and fled on foot into the woods.

Citizens and homeowners in the area kept officers apprised of Jones’es whereabouts during to 90-minute search for the suspect and eventually resulted in his capture by Wasilla police and troopers.

Jones, who had “a previous Eluding conviction and for failure to remand for Theft two with a total of 2+ years to serve,” was placed under arrest and transported to Palmer where he was remanded to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility with no bail.

He was additionally charged with Felony Eluding, Assault III, Reckless Driving, Driving while License Revoked, and Leaving the Scene of an Injury Accident.

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