Drunk driver leads troopers on pursuit that ends at the Stark County jail, literally

In a bizarre turn of events Wednesday night, a traffic stop for a marked lanes violation led to a wild nine-minute police pursuit, ultimately culminating in the Stark County Sheriff’s Office parking lot.

The suspect, later identified as Ramadhani A. Mtunguja, 43, of North Canton, managed to lead troopers straight to the jail, quite literally.

The incident unfolded at approximately 11:46 p.m. when a trooper from the Canton Post attempted to pull over a 2011 White Chrysler 200 traveling on Martindale Road near 37th Street in Plain Township, Stark County. However, the driver had other plans and refused to stop, sparking a high-speed chase that left troopers on a pursuit.

It was only when the determined driver pulled into the parking lot of the Stark County Sheriff’s Office that the chase came to a sudden halt. Whether the suspect had a strong sense of irony or just an uncanny ability to find his way to the nearest jail, it’s unclear, but the choice of the Sheriff’s Office parking lot left law enforcement scratching their heads.

Troopers quickly apprehended the suspect. Authorities soon discovered that Mtunguja was not only attempting to evade the law but was also highly intoxicated. This led to his immediate arrest and subsequent incarceration in the Stark County Jail, pending charges of Failure to Comply (F3).

But that’s not all; the intoxicated driver wasn’t spared from a laundry list of traffic citations. Mtunguja was also slapped with charges for operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI), marked lanes violation, driving without a valid driver’s license, failure to wear a seatbelt, and failure to maintain control of his vehicle.

This peculiar and unexpected journey through the streets of Stark County serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of law enforcement encounters.