Juneau man pursued by authorities hits car, still evades police

A Juneau man evading authorities caused a car crash in the Mendenhall Valley Monday afternoon, striking a vehicle on Glacier Highway, fishtailing and speeding off toward the airport.

Police found the suspect’s vehicle abandoned in Switzer Creek Trailer Park shortly afterward, but the suspect — identified as Micah William Nelson, 25 — is still on the lam.

“The public is encouraged to contact JPD if they know the location of Micah Nelson,” Juneau Police Department spokesperson Erann Kalwara wrote in a Tuesday news release. The police also released Nelson’s picture.

JPD said Nelson is a person of interest in the crash, which occurred on the second day that authorities pursued him on the roads. Police said Nelson has two outstanding felony Alaska State Trooper warrants out for his arrest for petition to revoke probation and failure to comply with probation on the original charges of fourth-degree drug misconduct and driving without a license.

Nelson was first spotted by a JPD officer at 3:19 p.m. Sunday driving a red Toyota Corolla on Mendenhall Loop Road near Stephen Richards Memorial Drive, police said in the news release. The officer recognized Nelson and knew about the outstanding warrants, and attempted to pull over his vehicle in a traffic stop near Lakeside Condominiums. The Corolla sped up and left, police said. It eventually stopped on Tongass Boulevard, letting out a passenger, whom JPD contacted. JPD said in a release the passenger was a 31-year-old woman on probation, and she was remanded by the probation office.

On Monday at 11:43 a.m., a JPD officer saw a silver Chrysler with three people inside in the area of Switzer Creek Trailer Park. According to the news release, the officer pulled up to contact the three people, but the vehicle fled the area. When the officer attempted to pull the car over for a traffic stop, the vehicle kept driving — “recklessly,” according to the JPD release, “at a high rate of speed.” The JPD officer stopped the pursuit for safety reasons, the release said. JPD spokesperson Kalwara confirmed by phone Tuesday that Nelson was operating the Chrysler.

A Forest Service officer then saw the Chrysler on Back Loop Road near the Mendenhall River Bridge. That officer tried to conduct a traffic stop as well, and ultimately followed the car onto Glacier Highway where it continued driving inbound. An Alaska State Trooper positioned at the Bus Barn on Back Loop reported that he saw the Chrysler pass without stopping. The Chrysler was last seen near Brotherhood Bridge turning toward the Juneau International Airport.

Then, at 11:56, JPD said the department received a report from a 23-year-old woman, who said her van was just struck by a silver vehicle while she tried to turn left from Del Rae Road onto Glacier Highway. Neither the woman nor her four minor passengers were injured, police said.

JPD said officers found the silver Chrysler at 12:28 p.m. at Switzer, and impounded it.

To make a report to JPD, call 586-0600.

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