A driver wanted after allegedly leaving an Ashland convenience store without paying for gas led police on a two county chase Saturday before he was apprehended.
On Saturday morning, Jefferson City Police Department personnel received information from Boone County to be on the lookout for a tan Buick four-door passenger vehicle driven by a white male driver who left the Fast Lane convenience store in Ashland without paying for gas.
While trying to make his escape, the driver allegedly nearly struck a convenience store employee who attempted to stop the driver. The employee gave police officers an Alabama license plate number from the vehicle.
At 10:01 a.m., a Jefferson City police officer located the vehicle in the 1900 block of Industrial Drive. When the officer attempted to stop the driver, he sped away from the area, continuing west on Truman Boulevard.
The suspect, later identified as Ronald Joseph Renig, a 50-year-old Missouri resident, then continued on South Country Club Drive to Route C and traveled westbound on Route C into Moniteau County at high speed. Cole County deputies joined the chase near Russellville.
A short time after entering Moniteau County, a Missouri Highway Patrol officer was able to successfully deploy stop spikes, deflating the tires of the vehicle. The driver continued about one more mile and stopped.
According to police, officers from all three agencies boxed the suspect in. Renig then rammed a JCPD vehicle, causing moderate damage.
Renig refused to get out of his vehicle, forcing officers to break a window and removed him from the car.
Renig is currently in Cole County Jail pending multiple charges related to the pursuit and possible charges from Boone County for the initial incident in Ashland.