Crime & Courts

Troopers: Drunken driver on Parks Highway arrested after others force her to stop

Alaska State Troopers arrested a woman on drunken driving charges Wednesday after concerned drivers forced her to stop and boxed in her car with their vehicles, troopers say.

A six-minute video obtained by KTUU shows a car being driven so erratically on the Glenn Highway that it nearly sideswipes several slower vehicles before it's forced to a stop minutes later.

Driver Laura Phillips, 49, of Palmer was arrested on DUI and reckless driving charges at 6:30 p.m., according to a troopers dispatch posted Wednesday.

Her breath-alcohol content more than an hour later was three times the legal limit for driving, court documents show.

Phillips, who smelled strongly of alcohol, swayed, stumbled and nearly fell when she was contacted just off the Parks at Hyer Road, Trooper Christopher Havens wrote in a sworn affidavit filed with charging documents. Witnesses had taken her keys and drove the car there.

Phillips blew a Datamaster breath-alcohol content reading of .249 at 7:48 p.m., according to the affidavit. She admitted to drinking at 4 p.m. before leaving Anchorage and was driving to her home near Palmer, the affidavit says.

The harrowing video, shot from a vehicle behind the 2014 Toyota Camry, shows Phillips swerving in and out of the passing lane from north of Eklutna on the northbound Glenn Highway. At times, she veers so far over that other drivers have to get out of the way. Other times, the car almost hits the guardrail.

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The driver in the vehicle with the person shooting the video can be heard saying it looks "like they're writing their name in cursive on the road."

As the drivers pass the Trunk Road exit on the Parks, a pickup pulls even with the car and then in front of it, slowing down until the Camry is forced to a stop near Hyer Road. A group of witnesses tell Phillips to get out. She looks dazed, the video shows.

The witnesses told Havens that Phillips was driving faster than the posted 65 mph limit on the Glenn and they thought her dangerous driving would lead to a collision, the affidavit states. That's why they created a "rolling block" with three vehicles to slow her to a stop.

Phillips was taken to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility on $500 bail and was scheduled for arraignment Thursday.

She bailed out Thursday, however, and was not arraigned that day, according to the Palmer court clerk's office.

Phillips was convicted of driving under the influence in 2007, according to a state courts database. A child endangerment charge was dismissed.

Anchorage police Deputy Chief Ken McCoy on Thursday morning tweeted kudos to the drivers involved in Wednesday's stop: "Incredible job by the observant citizens to keep this dangerous driver from seriously injuring or killing someone. Thank you!!!"

Troopers encourage people to contact law enforcement in such situations because they risk personal safety or property damage when they take matters into their own hands, spokeswoman Megan Peters said in an email.

But in this incident, other motorists saw a chance to protect themselves and others before "something terrible happened," Peters said. "They were able to do it in a relatively safe manner, considering the circumstances."

Zaz Hollander

Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com.

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