Woman charged with murder, DUI after SUV strikes soldier at Fort Wainwright gate

Fort Wainwright constabulary adjacent nan main gate, wherever Monday’s fatal collision occurred. (Patrick Gilcrist/KTVF)

A female accused of driving an SUV drunk into Fort Wainwright’s main gross Monday and fatally injuring a worker who tried to extremity her has been charged pinch second-degree murder, manslaughter and DUI.

Fairbanks constabulary said successful a statement that they apprehended Brianna Lapp, 31, successful nan decease of Pfc. Arturo Alejandro Gomez, 29, astatine astir 5 p.m. Monday. Police opportunity she had sped eastbound connected Gaffney Road toward nan main gate, driving successful and retired of ditches and complete medians and colliding pinch 2 vehicles on nan way.

“So erstwhile nan first FPD serviceman arrived astatine nan scene, location were respective subject unit that had their rifles pointed astatine nan Toyota 4Runner,” said constabulary spokesperson Teal Soden.

She said Tuesday that Lapp was trapped successful nan SUV aft it came to a remainder slammed up against a actual barricade.

“The 4Runner had important harm and was stopped pinch nan driver’s broadside up against a Jersey barrier,” Soden said. “And (Gomez) was connected nan crushed down nan vehicle.”

Gomez served arsenic a infantryman assigned to Fort Wainwright’s 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Police opportunity aft they apprehended Lapp, she had slurred reside and a beardown odor of intoxicant astir her. Soden said a breath-sample study showed Lapp was highly intoxicated.

“The activity intoxicant contented that she had astir 2 hours aft nan incident was complete 3 and a half times nan ineligible limit,” Soden said.

‘Devastating effect connected nan unit,’ brigade commandant says

The main gross was closed aft nan incident and reopened astatine noon Tuesday. Lapp was charged pinch manslaughter and DUI and held astatine nan Fairbanks Correctional Center. Prosecutors later added nan second-degree execution charge. In her arraignment Tuesday, bail was group astatine $1 million.

Meanwhile, Fairbanks constabulary proceed their investigation into a lawsuit that Chief Ron Dupee calls tragic.

“The decease of Private First Class Arturo Gomez was senseless and preventable,” he said. “I find it incredibly tragic that this young man who has joined nan subject work was senselessly tally down present successful nan state that he signed up to protect.”

The 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s commander, Col. Christopher Brawley, said Gomez showed awesome committedness since he joined nan Army a twelvemonth agone and arrived astatine Fort Wainwright successful February.

Brawley said successful a news merchandise that “The nonaccomplishment of Pfc. Gomez has had a devastating effect connected nan unit. We are doing our champion to support his family, friends and chap soldiers successful nan aftermath of this tragic and senseless incident.”

Dupee added that it was an all-too-common calamity that didn’t person to happen.

“It’s 1 of those crimes that is genuinely preventable,” he said. “We each person nan opportunity to return a thrust — telephone somebody, Uber, return a cab, a Lyft. There’s a cardinal different ways to get home, alternatively than putting nan cardinal successful nan ignition and driving.”

Fairbanks constabulary are asking anyone who witnessed nan clang aliases has accusation astir what happened to interaction nan section astatine 907-450-6500.