Alaska Beat

Troopers name man shot, killed after Glenn Highway chase

Alaska State Troopers have identified the man killed after allegedly inciting the Friday morning highway chase that ended in a flaming vehicle, a fatal trooper-involved shooting and hours of delayed traffic on the Glenn Highway between Anchorage and Wasilla.

Justin Lloyd Abrahamson, 29, was at the wheel when he failed to signal while turning his 1994 Saturn Coupe's onto the highway, troopers say.

At about 4 a.m. troopers attempted to stop the car. According to the Fairbanks Daily News Miner, Abrahamson "didn't stop and spike strips were deployed. One tire was deflated, but the driver kept going."

The car sped toward Anchorage and troopers followed. As it neared the Thunderbird Falls exit, it appeared to be on fire. Only then did Abrahamson stop the vehicle, trooper say.

He then got out of the car wielding a bat and ran toward the opposite lane of traffic.

After being Tasered with no effect, the man allegedly advanced toward troopers with the raised bat and was shot. The suspect was pronounced dead at 4:20 a.m., at the scene.

Early Friday evening, Alaska state Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Susitna Valley, noted in a press release that the shooting and investigation wouldn't have been such a disruption to Alaska's transportation network if there were more routes into and out of Anchorage ... such as the Knik Arm bridge.

Read more about Neuman's reaction.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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