Ohio man arrested for vehicle theft after allegedly fleeing at high speed along Newberry Road from Newberry to 34th Street

Staff report

Updated on December 19 with bail information

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – James John Ripinski, 45, of Toledo, Ohio, was arrested yesterday after allegedly fleeing at high speed in a stolen vehicle along Newberry Road from Newberry to 34th Street and then crashing the car.

At about 7:05 p.m. on December 17, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy was patrolling in Newberry and watching for a white Nissan Rogue that had been reported stolen out of Pinellas County. The deputy saw a Rogue traveling eastbound on Newberry Road, passing 202nd Street, and the deputy caught up to the Rogue in the 17000 block of Newberry Road, where the Rogue pulled into a church parking lot and parked. The deputy ordered the driver to get out of the vehicle, but the driver reportedly put the vehicle in gear and fled east on Newberry Road at a high rate of speed.

A Florida Highway Patrol Trooper and other units saw the Rogue near 122nd Street, still traveling at an “elevated speed,” and followed it; near I-75, the trooper confirmed that the tag number matched the stolen vehicle, and he turned on his lights and sirens.

The Rogue sped up, and troopers pursued it. When the Rogue reached NW 62nd Street (near the Oaks Mall), it reportedly drove across the median and continued traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes, nearly hitting another vehicle. The Rogue moved back to the eastbound lanes, and the trooper attempted a PIT maneuver near NW 43rd Street; the Rogue fishtailed “slightly,” but the driver recovered and continued driving eastbound.

The Rogue stayed right onto SW 2nd Avenue and then turned right onto SW 34th Street and entered Camelot Apartments (3425 SW 2nd Avenue) and immediately drove out of the next exit. The trooper began setting up for another PIT maneuver, but the driver of the Rogue braked abruptly, lost control, and hit a power pole.

After crashing, the driver reportedly got out of the Rogue and ran into The Ridge on 34th (500 SW 34th Street) before jumping a barrier into Camelot Apartments. When the trooper yelled at the driver that a K-9 was going to be released, the driver stopped and got on the ground.

The driver, identified as Ripinski, was found to have a suspended driver’s license. He was transported to the jail after being medically cleared at an emergency room.

Ripinski has been charged with fleeing at high speed with disregard for the safety of others, fleeing with lights and sirens active, grand theft of a motor vehicle, failing to obey an order from law enforcement to stop, resisting an officer without violence, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, and driving with a suspended license.

Ripinski has an unspecified criminal history in Colorado and Ohio and active warrants out of Ohio and New Mexico. Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $85,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.