Couple charged in live-streamed police chase in Greene County and West Virginia
Arrest warrants were issued Thursday for a Greene County driver accused of fleeing police and his passenger who recorded the chase on Facebook Live and encouraged him, police said.
Cumberland Township police said Ronald Ray Conard Jr., 31, of Carmichaels, held a knife in his hand, telling township police Chief Bryan Smith not to come close, and then accelerated at Smith’s police vehicle, nearly hitting him. His passenger, Courtney Irene Carubia, 20, of Core, W.Va., is charged with conspiracy in the case.
According to court paperwork, Conard was spotted driving a Ford Windstar minivan on South Branch Muddy Creek Road about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. He had an arrest warrant for criminal mischief from July, and police tried to pull him over.
Conard slowed down and started swerving back and forth, hitting the steering wheel and “moving around frantically,” police said. He reportedly made gestures in the mirror, moving his finger across his throat and yelling. On Carmichaels Road, police said he held a knife out of the vehicle when Smith exited his vehicle, and then accelerated onto Gerards Fort Road at about 100 mph.
Conard got on Interstate 79 south and allegedly drove 105 mph, crossing into West Virginia, then turned around and headed north. Police said he nearly hit several vehicles, including Smith’s patrol car. Police called off the pursuit in Mount Morris, Greene County.
A 12-minute Facebook Live video shows the driver passing vehicles on the highway on the shoulder, talking about Conard’s charges and discussing how to flee police. Conard said several times he was running out of gas. Carubia asked if he had a gun with him, and he said he did not. The video cuts off as he enters a narrow road in a residential area.
Police said they charged Carubia for instructing Conard which direction to go and telling him to keep going.
Conard was charged with aggravated assault, fleeing or attempting to elude officers, resisting arrest and eight counts of reckless endangerment. Carubia is charged with conspiracy to commit fleeing or attempting to elude officers and conspiracy to commit resisting arrest.