A Gainesville man faces several charges, including hit and run and possession of marijuana, after he fled from Hall County sheriff’s deputies during a traffic stop in North Hall Friday evening.
“Deputies initiated the [traffic] stop at approximately 8:40 p.m. on US-129/Cleveland Highway at Briarwood Drive in reference to a wanted man and an expired tag,” Spokesperson Derek Booth with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
Ronald Neftaly Bonilla-Ramos, 28, of Gainesville, was driving a 2015 Kia Cadenza when he failed to stop the vehicle and turned down Briarwood Drive to elude sheriff’s deputies.
According to officials, instead of pulling over, Ramos-Bonilla travelled down several side-streets and crashed his vehicle into a retaining wall on Colonial Circle. Two male subjects then exited the vehicle and fled the scene by foot.
“Two male subjects got out of the car and ran off. A HCSO K9 team searched the area but did not immediately find the subjects,” Booth said.
Deputies located Bonilla-Ramos near Elysian Circle around 11:30 p.m. and arrested him without incident. He had an outstanding felony warrant for a probation violation and now faces the following misdemeanor charges related to Friday’s incident:
- Operating a vehicle with an expired tag
- Fleeing or attempting to elude
- Reckless driving, first offense
- Hit and run
- Duty upon striking fixture (didn’t notify owner of retaining wall)
- Duty to make immediate report or accident
- Driving on the wrong side of the roadway (four-counts)
- Driving too fast for conditions
- Failure to signal while turning (five-counts)
- Loitering or prowling
- Possession of marijuana
Bonilla-Ramos remains in the Hall County Jail without bond as of Monday afternoon, March 13.
