CHESAPEAKE, Va. - A car lead the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Police and Virginia State Police on a chase in late July.
Ronald Stow
Around 12:25 p.m. on July 23, CBBT police noticed that there was a driver at the toll booth who they say had a radar detector. Police then noticed that there was also an unrestrained child in the vehicle.
The driver, identified as 25-year-old Ronald Stow, took off when CBBT officials attempted to conduct a traffic stop. That is when the pursuit began with CBBT police.
News 3 spoke with Stow from jail Wednesday morning.
“I would have stayed there until he completely said, ‘You’re good to go," Stow explained.
He told us after the officer mentioned his radar gun, he unplugged it and thought he was free to go.
“I thought he was done talking to us, so I drove off. I guess he [wasn't] done and I guess since we drove off and stuff, he called backup," Stow explained.
Stow was driving over 100 mph, according to officials, so CBBT police called off the pursuit for the safety of the unrestrained child.
The vehicle was identified on Northampton Highway, and state troopers made a traffic stop on I-64 at the 464 exit ramp.
He said the reason he kept driving was because he didn't want to stop on the highway.
“I was thinking about the child; that’s why I didn’t wanna pull over on the highway. That’s why I was trying to get to a main strip or a side street," Stow said.
State Police said there was no accident, but due to the wet conditions the vehicle slid down into an embankment.
Stow, who is from Delaware, was driving his friend and her child to North Carolina.
Stow was booked into the Virginia Beach Jail on charges of two counts of reckless driving endangering life and limb; two counts of gross, wanton or reckless care for a child; hit and run with more than $1,000 of property damaged; abduction by force without justification; two counts of speeding; and two counts of disregarding police.
On October 24, Stow's charges of felony eluding police (two counts), hit-and-run (amended to misdemeanor) and reckless speeding (two counts) were certified to the grand jury. He got two $50 fines - for a total of $100 - on infractions for improper child restraint and fictitious plates.
The Commonwealth nolle prossed the charges of abduction and child endangerment for insufficient evidence.
On December 9, Stow pleaded guilty to two counts of felony eluding police, two counts of reckless driving - general, two counts of reckless driving - speed and hit-and-run less than $1,000.
Stow was sentenced to six years and 30 months with five years and 30 months suspended, leaving 1 year to serve.
