The driver, identified in an update Thursday as Michael Grimes, died at the scene, troopers said. A passenger, identified as 42-year-old Melody Perry of North Pole, was not injured and was arrested on a felony charge of misconduct involving a weapon, they said.
The officers had tried to stop the vehicle because Grimes was involved in a “felony-level investigation,” said troopers spokesman Austin McDaniel. He did not provide details about the substance of the investigation because the case is still active, he said.“Due to the extreme public safety risk that the driver posed to the public, troopers and other law enforcement officers assisting with the pursuit returned fire, striking the driver,” troopers said in a release Wednesday.
The Parks Highway was closed for about 3 1/2 hours Wednesday afternoon as the scene was documented and vehicles were removed from the area, troopers said.