Details unfold in fatal South Anchorage hit-and-run

The events that led to an Anchorage teen hitting and killing a cyclist with a black Chevrolet pickup truck are becoming clearer.

Court documents say 18-year-old Alexandra Ellis was staying at her grandparents’ house while her parents were out of town. She had recently finished a substance abuse treatment program and sneaked out to throw a party at her parents’ home with drugs and alcohol on the night of July 18, 2014.

Ellis drove a friend home at approximately 10 a.m. the next morning, according to court documents. After dropping the friend off, she began driving in reverse on East 84th Avenue, “passing on the opportunity to turn around on Sandy Place.”

Just before 10:17 a.m., Ellis struck 51-year-old Jeff Dusenbury with the truck and continued driving backwards 40 feet until she struck a wooden post, “removing it from the ground,” according to court records. She then drove forward past Dusenbury, without stopping to offer assistance, and continued back to her parents’ home.

A woman in her yard nearby saw the hit-and-run and tried to get Ellis’ attention as she drove off. The woman, a registered nurse, told a man in her backyard to call 911 as she rushed to help Dusenbury, according to court documents. Dusenbury was still breathing when she reached him.

Dusenbury was taken to the Alaska Native Medical Center and pronounced dead by medical staff at roughly 11 a.m., records show.

Police arrived a few moments after the 911 call was placed and were given a description of Ellis and her vehicle, along with a partial plate number.

At approximately 10:28 a.m., officers looking for the pickup truck noticed a vehicle matching the witness’ description. It had fresh damage on the side, court records said.

The officers knocked on the door of the residence where the vehicle was parked and Ellis answered, according to court documents. When asked if she knew why the officers were there, she replied, “I do. I don’t know what to say besides please arrest me. I’m a horrible person.”

Both officers were recording the interaction with Ellis. During their interview, Ellis admitted to the officers that she “hit that guy,” according to a sentencing memorandum. She said she fled the scene of the collision because she didn’t have her driver’s license because her wallet had been stolen the night before and “she didn’t know what to do.” She also admitted to having been drinking and doing drugs — including ecstasy and marijuana — the night before and the possibility that she might have still be intoxicated.

“She reiterated that she thought officers should arrest her,” court documents said.

While advising Ellis of her Miranda rights, one of the officers told her Dusenbury had died as a result of the collision. Ellis waived her rights and agreed to speak with police, admitting again that she was the driver and sole occupant of the truck at the time of the hit and run.

“I killed someone,” Ellis was recorded saying, according to the sentencing memorandum. “I killed someone … I killed someone? I can’t believe he passed away. I am going to jail, I am going to go to hell. I can’t believe I killed him.”

Ellis showed only one clue of impairment during a field sobriety test administered by one of the officers. A blood sample was collected from Ellis at 12:51 p.m., less than three hours after the collision. A toxicology report from the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory revealed Ellis’ blood “contained .101 gram of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood.”

A sample of Ellis’ blood was also sent to the Washington State Patrol Toxicology Laboratory for further testing, court documents said. Their Aug. 18 report revealed THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in her blood. No other drugs were found in her sample, according to court documents.

Ellis was originally charged with driving under the influence and manslaughter, with an additional charge of felony leaving the scene of an accident without rendering aid to an injured victim. She pleaded guilty to the charges of DUI and criminally negligent homicide on May 4, 2015, according to the sentencing memorandum.

As a first-time felony offender, Ellis could face up to three years in prison. In the sentencing memorandum, District Attorney Clint Campion asked the court to accept the conditions of Ellis’ plea agreement — three years imprisonment with two suspended, plus three years’ probation, for the charge of criminally negligent homicide; and 90 days imprisonment with 80 suspended and a fine of $3,000 with $1,500 suspended for the DUI, along with a requirement to use an ignition interlock device for one year and the revocation of Ellis’ driver’s license for six months.

Ellis will be sentenced Aug. 14. Prosecutors said in the sentencing memorandum that Dusenbury’s family members are expected to make victim impact statements during the sentencing.

KTVA 11’s Shannon Ballard contributed to this story.