Alaska News

ATV driver found dead near Seward after failed traffic stop by troopers

A 29-year-old man was found dead Saturday night at the bottom of a cliff near Seward following a failed traffic stop, said Alaska State Troopers.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m., a trooper attempted to pull over a man driving a four-wheeler near the intersection of Vinewood Lane and Bruno Road. The man, later identified as Patrick Wallace of Houston in Mat-Su, did not stop, troopers said.

Troopers from Soldotna, Cooper Landing and Crown Point responded. They found the four-wheeler abandoned but could not find Wallace, who was last seen near the Stoney Creek RV Park, troopers said.

At 11:27 p.m., campers at Stoney Creek called 911 and said they saw a man matching Wallace's description walking down a nearby hill.

"The male saw the campers and left the area on foot again," troopers said.

Troopers and a canine searched the area for about 30 minutes before finding Wallace's body at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff. He was pronounced dead on scene.

The State Medical Examiner's Office has requested Wallace's body be sent to Anchorage for an autopsy, troopers said.

Tegan Hanlon

Tegan Hanlon was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News between 2013 and 2019. She now reports for Alaska Public Media.

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