Talkeetna Man Injured in DUI-Related Crash, Troopers Say

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A Talkeetna man was seriously injured in a single-vehicle rollover near Trapper Creek Friday, which Alaska State Troopers described as a DUI-related crash.

According to a Tuesday AST dispatch, troopers with the Alaska Bureau of Highway Patrol responded shortly after 9 p.m. Friday to Mile 4.5 of Petersville Road, where a 1995 Dodge truck had veered off the road before crashing into a large tree.

The driver, 58-year-old Dennis I. Shipman, was medevaced to Providence Alaska Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries.

Troopers determined that Shipman was intoxicated but did not arrest him due to the extent of his injuries, instead forwarding charges in connection with the crash.

AST spokesperson Megan Peters says it’s common for state authorities to delay arrests in DUI incidents, since doing so allows time for investigators to complete their work and suspects to become sober.