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2 Drivers Arrested After High-Speed Escape Attempts
Two suspected drunken drivers have been accused of driving at high speeds to escape authorities Monday night and early Tuesday morning in the Fairbanks area.
By Fairbanks Daily News-Miner


FAIRBANKS — Two suspected drunken drivers have been accused of driving at high speeds to escape authorities Monday night and early Tuesday morning in the Fairbanks area. Both chases ended with traffic accidents and felony charges, according to court documents.

The first chase involved Fairbanks resident Gabriel F. Kessey, 39, who was driving a white pickup that crossed the centerline at about 5:45 p.m. Monday on Chena Ridge Road near Chena Ridge Spur, according to Alaska State Troopers. Kessey drove about nine miles at speeds between 50 and 70 mph after troopers signaled for him to stop, troopers said.

Troopers used spikes strips to puncture his tires, but he continued driving for an additional 1.5 miles before colliding with a road sign. He registered a breath-alcohol content of 0.128.

In the other incident, which occurred at 12:49 a.m. Tuesday, North Pole resident Oscar Frank III, 36, was driving northbound on the Richardson Highway at 89 mph, North Pole police said.

When police tried to stop him, he reportedly exited at Badger Road east, where he swerved through a roundabout and drove north on Badger Road at 55 mph in a 25 mph zone.

During the chase, he passed vehicles on the right and nearly collided with two vehicles, police said. The chase ended when Frank’s vehicle jumped a curb near Sourdough Fuel, collided with a post and came to rest against a fuel barrel near a warehouse on the 3300 block of Badger Road.

He registered a breath-alcohol content of 0.181 and was taken into custody without further incident, police said.

Both Kessey and Frank were charged with driving under the influence and first-degree failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer, a felony.