A car thief led Soldotna Police on a high-speed chase early Tuesday morning, Mar. 19 for 13 miles before pulling over and surrendering. The twist is that SPD received the initial report from the theft victim–who was in pursuit of his own stolen vehicle.
The call, which came in just after 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, reported the vehicle had been stolen from the Holiday Gas Station near Fred Meyer in Soldotna. At the time, the victim was on the phone with the Soldotna Public Safety Communications Center and advised that he was following his vehicle toward Sterling.
Soldotna Police Officers caught up with the victim following his stolen truck on the east end of Sterling at mile marker 82 of the Sterling Highway. Officers initiated a traffic stop, but the thief in the stolen truck fled. Officers pursued the vehicle through Sterling at high rates of speed to mile marker 69, just before the Kelly-Peterson Lake turnout.
The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Hannah Kelson, pulled over and surrendered at that location.
Hannah is being charged with Vehicle Theft 1st Degree and Failure to Stop at the discretion of a Peace Officer 1st Degree.
The stolen vehicle was released to the owner. Hannah was transported to Wildwood Correctional without further incident.