A man fled from police with his 5-month-old daughter and mother in his car after shoplifting steak, lobster tails and beer from a Parma grocery store, according to police. The chase ended when the man slammed into a garbage truck, killing him and injuring his daughter and mother.
The chase started at around 5:10 a.m. after police attempted to stop a shoplifting suspect from a nearby Giant Eagle at 7939 Day Drive. Police say the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Ronald Jones of Cleveland, took steak, lobster tails and beer from the store. His 48-year-old mother may also be a suspect in the shoplifting incident, police said.
Jones then traveled northbound on Ridge Road from W. Ridgewood Drive where he initially cut through some side streets before returning to Ridge Road.
Jones was coming from Ridge Road when it made a right turn on Pearl Road and crashed into a garbage truck. The entire vehicle burst into flames, according to a witness.
Jones was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Parma police. His mother, who was in the passenger seat, was taken to the hospital with injuries. His 5-month-old daughter was in the back seat of the car in a child seat; she suffered serious injuries, police said.
The driver of the garbage truck suffered neck and back injuries, police said. Two officers sustained minor injuries while trying to rescue people from the crash.
Police said Jones had no active warrants and was driving with a valid license, but he was not the registered owner of the car he was driving.
At a news conference Monday afternoon, police defended the chase because the officer was trying to get more information about whether or not to continue the chase when the crash occurred. Police said the chase lasted only about two minutes.
"It's a minor offense where he could have just received a summons to appear in court," said Parma police Sgt. Dan Ciryak. "But he chose to run from police and unfortunately we have a job to do. I understand it is a minor offense, but if people would stop, I mean look at all the lives he put in danger by doing this and ultimately he paid the ultimate sacrifice for it."
Officials say at one point Jones was driving 60 miles an hour in a 35 mile and hour zone. Police did not provide an estimate of the speed of the car on impact.
Coroner van now left the scene of this crash at Pearl and Ridge road in Parma @WEWS pic.twitter.com/rakk2Z2DTH
— Dave Kraska (@DaveKraska) October 8, 2018
