Donut driver on drugs put ‘multiple lives in danger,’ cops say

Maricopa police lodged at least 12 felony charges against a driver accused of using his car as a deadly weapon against cops and pedestrians while high on drugs in The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado this morning.

The driver, 49-year-old Ronnie Dolejs, faces three counts of aggravated assault on police with a deadly instrument, three more counts of aggravated assault, felony flight, “multiple counts” of endangerment, felony criminal damage, “aggravated DUI and more,” according to public safety spokesperson Monica Williams.

Just after midnight, cops responded to West Cahill Drive and North Liles Lane on a report of an erratic driver doing donuts in the neighborhood.

Officers found a crowd forming around Dolejs’ car, according to Williams.

Dolejs recklessly tried to flee cops in reverse, “putting multiple lives in danger,” Williams said. He targeted and crashed head-on into an occupied police truck, then hit a parked car and a tree.

One police officer and a pedestrian were evaluated by EMTs. The officer was uninjured, Williams said.

Dolejs was transported to a hospital and later booked into the Pinal County jail.

“Officers believe drugs may have played a factor in this incident,” Williams said.

Public records suggest Dolejs is a Nebraska resident. He was found guilty of reckless driving twice in Nebraska and Utah.

In Nebraska, he was also found guilty of failing to stop for police and was charged with three counts of theft and one count of DUI causing serious bodily harm. The dispositions of those cases are not available.