An Ocala man with a suspended driver’s license led Marion County sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase that exceeded 120 mph before his car ran out of gas.
On Wednesday morning, a deputy in an unmarked car observed a gray Dodge Charger with a temporary registration tag traveling recklessly at a high speed south on County Road 225A toward Highway 27. He identified the driver as 25-year-old Bobby J. Rainer, of 4874 NW 61st Ave., and advised other deputies that Rainer had an active felony warrant out of Alachua County, according to the sheriff’s office report.
Another deputy joined the chase as Rainer turned west onto Hwy. 27, and both deputies activated their emergency lights and sirens. The chase continued for approximately five miles on Hwy. 27, with speeds reaching 120 to 140 mph, until Rainer’s vehicle started to slow as it approached NW 115th Avenue, where it turned north and came to a stop a short distance from Hwy. 27, the report says.
Deputies reported that during the chase, Rainer ignored all commands to pull over and operated his vehicle in a dangerous manner by fleeing at a high speed and ignoring all traffic laws, putting himself and others – including two small children who were discovered to be in his vehicle – in danger. Deputies learned that Rainer’s vehicle had run out of gasoline, which they determined was the only reason it came to a stop, according to the report.
Rainer told deputies he didn’t know what was going on and decided to run. He said he never saw red or blue emergency lights, but he did notice some pickups behind him, which was when he started driving at a high speed, according to the report.
A computer check of Rainer’s Florida driver’s license showed it had been suspended multiple times since 2014, most recently on Feb. 27. He was charged with fleeing/eluding and knowingly driving with a suspended license and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he remains held on $3,000 bond. He’s scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on May 7.