The driver in a deadly crash that shut down the Seward Highway near Girdwood early Saturday morning is now facing multiple criminal charges, including manslaughter and driving under the influence.
Anchorage Police say 23-year-old Wyatt Flotre was behind the wheel of a BMW M5 sedan that overturned near Mile 92.5 of the highway just before 4 a.m. on May 31. The crash killed his passenger, 20-year-old Eeamon Johnston, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to police, initial 911 callers reported the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed before it left the road and overturned, eventually coming to rest on nearby railroad tracks. Investigators later estimated the car traveled about 40 feet through the air before landing back on the tracks.
In a statement included with the charging documents, Flotre allegedly told officers he had been drinking, had used a dab pen, and briefly looked down at his phone before hitting water on the roadway and losing control. A blood sample taken later confirmed Flotre’s blood alcohol level was above Alaska’s legal limit. Police also said he performed poorly on field sobriety tests administered at the hospital.
Following his release from medical care, Flotre was taken into custody and charged with manslaughter, DUI, and driving without a valid license. He made his initial court appearance Sunday afternoon.
The crash shut down both directions of the Seward Highway for several hours Saturday morning while the Anchorage Police Department’s Major Collision Investigation Unit processed the scene. All lanes reopened by about 8:20 a.m.
The case remains under investigation.
