Adam Rittersdorf

A  man is in jail on multiple charges after driving away in a vehicle that didn’t belong to him and leading police on a chase across northeastern Kent County.

According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent, Officers Chad Potts and Jerry Wineland were checking the city Tuesday evening, about 6:47 p.m., for a vehicle that had been stolen in Solon Township. They had heard from The Kent County Sheriff Department that it was a Venture van, and had been stolen from the Auto Zone store on 17 Mile within the hour. It had been left running while the driver was in the store.

The Cedar Springs Police spotted the van in Cedar Springs Mobile Estates, but when they activated their lights, the driver fled. They pursued the vehicle at moderate speeds over snow-covered roads, until they lost him near 14 Mile and Podunk.

Other police agencies had been converging on the area and within a minute or two, the Michigan State Police were again in pursuit of the stolen vehicle.  Officers from Cedar Springs were able to set up and deploy a spike strip as the vehicle headed south on Podunk Ave just north of 14 Mile Road.  The spike strip deflated two passenger side tires causing the driver to run off the roadway and into a yard on Podunk Avenue south of 14 Mile Road.

Officers from the Michigan State Police arrested the driver a short distance from the vehicle.

The man, Adam Lee Rittersdorf, 30, was arraigned in 63rd District Court Wednesday on charges of fleeing a police officer, third degree; resisting/obstructing a police officer; unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle; driving on a suspended or revoked license—second or subsequent offense; and he has holds on him from another jurisdiction for several other charges. He is also being charged as a habitual offender, 4th offense. Bond was set at $10,000.