A teenager was arrested early Wednesday morning for driving under the influence after he crashed down a hillside at 34 Mile on Glacier Highway which resulted in “significant injuries” to a female passenger.
Sydney Patch, 18, of Juneau was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, a Class A misdemeanor, and third-degree assault, a Class C felony, an offense resulting from injuries suffered by the passenger.
According to Capital City Fire/Rescue Assistant Chief Ed Quinto, at about 1:39 a.m. Wednesday, CCFR received a report that a pickup truck had crashed through a guardrail and down a wooded hillside at 34 Mile on Glacier Highway, near Sunshine Cove.
According to Quinto, it took CCFR responders around 15 minutes to arrive at the scene which they were able to locate due to the damage to the guardrail. He said because of the steepness of the hillside, it required responders to go down to the vehicle using ropes.
Quinto said power tools were required to extract the female passenger from the vehicle, who was then taken up to the road where she was transported to the Bartlett Regional Hospital. Quinto said the woman has since been medivaced out of Juneau resulting from the injuries.
Quinto said Patch was evaluated by a medic but appeared to suffer no injuries. According to Juneau Police Department spokesperson Lt. Krag Campbell, Patch was taken to Lemon Creek Correctional Center following his arrest.
Patch is set for an arraignment at the Juneau Courthouse at 1:15 p.m.
• Contact reporter Clarise Larson at clarise.larson@juneauempire.com or (651)-528-1807.
