Tommie Snyder and Sharla Cleveland Charged During Increased Glenn Highway Traffic Enforcement

At 2:47 PM on March 14, 2024, an officer assigned to APD’s Traffic Unit was conducting speed enforcement on the outbound side of the Glenn Highway near the Eklutna Exit.  The officer saw a 2007 Chevy Equinox being driven at a high rate of speed.  The officer’s Pro Laser IV confirmed the vehicle was travelling 95 mph in the posted 65 mph zone.  As the officer was attempting to catch up to the vehicle, the Equinox reached a speed of 102 mph.

The traffic officer had engaged his patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and siren.  When the officer caught up to the Equinox, the driver failed to yield, continued to drive erratically, and sped up.  Due to the suspect’s dangerous driving behavior, and surrounding motorists, the officer terminated the pursuit.  The suspect vehicle was registered to an address in Palmer; the traffic officer notified Palmer PD.  Shortly thereafter Palmer PD advised they had located the vehicle and taken the suspect into custody.  Palmer PD further stated there were three young children in the back seat of the Equinox.

The APD traffic officer and APD Traffic Unit sergeant responded to the Palmer Police Department where they took custody of the driver, 31-year-old Tommie L. Snyder. Palmer PD advised they had noticed signs of impairment and had already administered Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs). After APD arrived, Snyder provided a breath sample showing his breath alcohol content was more than one and a half times the legal limit.

The APD traffic officer transported Tommie Snyder to the Anchorage Correctional Complex where he was remanded on the charges of Driving under the Influence, Felony Fail to Stop, and three counts of Reckless Endangerment (one count for each child).  APD Case 24-8208.

The APD Traffic Unit was requested to increase its enforcement efforts on the Glenn and Old Glenn Highways from March 11th through the 15th to coincide with the heavier traffic volume related to the Arctic Winter Games which were held in the Mat-Su Valley.  In addition to the above-mentioned case, officers stopped 21-year-old Sharla M. Cleveland for speeding on March 13th.  She was ultimately jailed on an existing warrant and charged with False Information when she provided a name and identifiers that were not her own.  APD Cases 24-8071 and 24-8072.

In addition to the two arrests, traffic officers issued a total of 66 citations during the five days of increased enforcement:

  48 – Speeding

·         6 – Illegal Window Tint

·         5 – No Proof of Insurance

·         2 – Driving While License Suspended

·         2 – No Valid Operator’s License

·         1 – Open Container

·         1 – Loud Exhaust

·         1 – Expired Registration

For information on how to obtain the criminal history of any Alaskan, you may do so online via Court View on the State’s website.