Troopers arrest Nikiski man after rollover with 14-year-old in vehicle

A Jeep rolled onto its side off Holt Lamplight Road in Nikiski on Tuesday afternoon with a 14-year-old passenger inside. The driver was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, a misdemeanor that applies to anyone who drives a child while breaking the DUI law, Alaska State Troopers said. No injuries were reported.

Troopers were notified of the white Jeep at about 4:38 p.m., according to the daily dispatch. The investigation found the driver, a 56-year-old Nikiski man, lost control of the vehicle and had been operating it while impaired by alcohol. He was remanded to the Wildwood Pretrial Facility.

Charges are accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The online state court index listed no case against him as of Wednesday afternoon.

Trooper dispatches list two earlier Nikiski arrests this summer on the same pair of charges. A 39-year-old woman was arrested after an ATV rollover on July 2, and a 28-year-old woman was arrested after an Aug. 13 traffic stop with two children in the vehicle.