Teen faces felony charges for fiery crash
19-year-old plans to plead innocent on assault charges, attorney says
Juneau prosecutors said excessive speed caused an August vehicle accident - which left a trail of fire along Glacier Highway and sent five people to the hospital - and are holding a local teen-ager responsible.
Allan Hughes, 19, is awaiting arraignment on one count of second-degree assault and three counts of third-degree assault, all felonies, stemming from an Aug. 19 vehicle accident.
Defense attorney David Mallet said Hughes plans to plead innocent to all counts at his arraignment hearing Wednesday afternoon. He declined further comment.
The prosecution laid out its case against Hughes in the court record:
Records said a red 1993 Mitsubishi Eclipse, driven by Hughes and carrying two passengers, a boy, 16, and a man, 28, was traveling at speeds nearing 80 mph on outbound Glacier Highway in the business district near the Juneau Airport around 10:55 p.m.
According to the record, a girl, 17, who was driving a 2001 Toyota 4Runner inbound on Glacier, said she saw the Mitsubishi driving in her lane toward her vehicle before the back end of the Mitsubishi smashed into the front of the 4Runner.
Witnesses said they saw Hughes driving down the highway at close to 80 mph and later sliding sideways down the highway at speeds between 50 and 60 mph.
Hughes told police his vehicle began hydroplaning, he hit the brakes, then the gas pedal, causing his vehicle to spin out of control. Hughes told police he was driving about 45 mph.
The Mitsubishi eventually came to rest in the entrance of a nearby parking lot.
When police arrived at the scene, flames were coming from underneath the Mitsubishi from a broken gas line witnesses said caused a trail of fire along Glacier Highway.
Five people were taken to the hospital the night of the accident.
The occupants of the 4Runner and a passenger from the Mitsubishi were treated for minor injuries and released, said a hospital spokeswoman the morning after the accident. One of the passengers in the Mitsubishi sustained a head injury, detached tendons in his right arm, has no feeling in the lower part of his left arm and has a hip injury as a result of the accident, according to court records.
Hughes sustained chest and neck bruising as a result of the accident.