Driving drunk charge hits its 10th round

A Duluth man is facing his 10th drunk driving charge.

Robert L. Ronning, 46, made his initial appearance Monday in Douglas County Circuit Court. He also is accused of resisting an officer, a misdemeanor; he pleaded not guilty.

According to the criminal complaint:

Ronning was pulled over May 15 after a convenience store clerk called police about a possible intoxicated driver. Superior Police Officer George Gothner followed Ronning as he drove in downtown Superior. The driver drifted slightly from the lane along Baxter Avenue and came close to a parked vehicle while making a left turn. At one point, the driver stopped the truck in the middle of North 18th Street, backed up five feet, stopped again and then drove forward.

Gothner pulled the vehicle over and identified Ronning as the driver. He could smell the odor of intoxicants and Ronning admitted drinking earlier. When requested to perform field sobriety tests, the Duluth man told the officer that he was drunk and couldn’t do them, the complaint stated.

At St. Mary’s Hospital, Ronning refused to give a blood sample. Three officers had to hold him down for the blood to be drawn.

Driving records indicate Ronning has nine previous OWI convictions between 1990 and 1999. He has previous misdemeanor convictions for battery and disorderly conduct in Douglas County, according to online court records.

Ronning waived the 10-day time limit for a preliminary hearing to allow time for him to retain an attorney. The hearing was set for June 2. As of Tuesday morning, Ronning remained in custody at the Douglas County Jail in lieu of $1,000 cash bail.

Tags: drunk driving, news, superior, courts, fccnetwork