Military Man Charged in Fiery Anchorage Crash that Killed 2
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A member of the military charged with manslaughter in a fiery crash in Alaska that killed two people told authorities he was so drunk, he didn’t remember driving, according to charging documents.
Matthew Davis, 23, also faces charges of driving under the influence in the early Sunday incident that police say involved him hitting three vehicles in and near downtown Anchorage, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
Police have not yet identified the two people killed, awaiting confirmation of one victim through dental records, police spokesperson Cherie Zajdzinski said Tuesday.
The two people died before firefighters could extricate them from the vehicle, charging documents say.
Davis told Anchorage District Court Judge Michael Franciosi during his initial court appearance Monday that he serves in the military. His bail was set at $80,000 cash. Attempts to reach his court-appointed public defender were not successful Tuesday.
Davis told police he consumed between 10 to 15 alcohol drinks at several downtown bars before the crash, and his blood-alcohol content later measured three times the legal limit, the charges said.
Davis rear-ended a car in downtown Anchorage and fled the scene, the charging documents say. The driver of the car hit by Davis’ pickup pursued him for about a mile and a half until the fatal collision. A witness estimated to police the two vehicles were traveling 80 to 90 mph, according to Assistant District Attorney David Buettner.
Davis’ pickup slammed into a car at an intersection, and the car with the two victims inside hit a tree after the impact and caught on fire, authorities said.
Davis continued driving and hit another pickup, but there were no injuries in that crash. Davis’ pickup came to a rest after hitting a shed, sign and light pole, the charging documents say.
He was taken to a hospital for evaluation, where according to the charging documents he told police he was intoxicated and said: “I don’t remember driving.”