Troopers say Fairbanks driver hit 90 mph before DUI arrest

A driver ran stop signs and traffic signals through Fairbanks at more than 90 mph early Friday before troopers arrested him on a DUI charge.

The pursuit started when the driver failed to stop and signal entering Van Horne Road, according to the trooper dispatch. Troopers said he endangered other motorists during the chase and showed signs of impairment once stopped. A Datamaster breath test — the evidentiary instrument, not a roadside screener — read 0.118, above the 0.08 legal limit.

The Fairbanks man, who troopers did not name, is charged with failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer, reckless driving, and operating under the influence. Those charges are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The arrest was made by troopers. Fairbanks police, meanwhile, spent almost none of their DUI enforcement money last year. The Alaska Highway Safety Office's annual report shows the department missed its goal of 110 DUI arrests, making 105, for lack of a full-time traffic enforcement officer. The project was budgeted at $278,000. It spent $592.84.