Chesterfield Township Man Arraigned on Drunken Driving Charges

A Chesterfield Township man faces drunken driving charges after he was involved in an accident on Saturday, May 19, according to a press release from the .

Ronald Gordon Ritchie, 32, was arraigned via video on charges of operating while intoxicated (third offense) and driving with a suspended license (second offense) on Monday at .

If convicted, the OWI is punishable by one to five years in prison. The driving with a suspended license is a one-year misdemeanor.

Ritchie was involved in an accident at Cotton Road and Jefferson Avenue in Chesterfield Township on May 19, according to police.

No one was injured in the accident.

Ritchie and his 27-year-old girlfriend originally told police he was a passenger in the car, but after gathering conflicting accounts from witnesses, police determined he was the driver.

Chesterfield police said that Ritchie smelled of “intoxicants,” and they administered sobriety tests, including a Breathalyzer that determined he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.12.

Police also determined that Ritchie was driving with a suspended license and had six prior convictions for alcohol-related driving offenses.

For questions on the police blotter, email john.hetzler@patch.com.