Wasilla Man takes Troopers on Short Chase before Crashing into Ditch

At 10 minutes after midnight on Wednesday morning troopers received a report of “a vehicle causing property damage to multiple properties on W Limberlost Ave in Wasilla,” it was reported on the trooper dispatch this morning.

Troopers responded to the vicinity and began looking for the suspect vehicle and soon located the blue Chevy SUV on Vine Road. Troopers activated lights and siren and attempted to perform a traffic stop which the driver, later identified as 44-year-old Michael Casqueira of Wasilla, ignored. 

Casqueira, with a passenger on board, decided instead to take troopers on a car chase and sped away. The chase through the residential area was very brief as Casqueira very quickly crashed into a ditch near Vine Road and Appalachian Avenue.

Leaving his passenger behind, Casqueira exited his vehicle and fled on foot into the woods. Troopers soon apprehended him and took him into custody. The investigation at the scene determined that “Casqueira was operating the vehicle while impaired by alcohol and caused fear of imminent serious injury to his passenger during the pursuit,” the trooper dispatch said.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adversal-468×60″][xyz-ihs snippet=”adversal-728×90″]

Casqueira was transported to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility in Palmer and charged with Failure to Stop at the Direction of a Peace Officer I, Assault III, Criminal Mischief IV, DUI-Alcohol, and Refusal to Submit to a Chemical Test.

Casqueira is being held pending arraignment today.