Suspect facing charges after 2-hour chase through South Jersey, Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA -- The man who authorities say led police on a two-hour-long chase through South Jersey and Philadelphia is out of the hospital and in police custody.

Action News was in West Philadelphia early Tuesday as Robert Ritter, of Blackwood, N.J., was led into Philadelphia Police district headquarters to face reckless endangerment and other charges.

The dramatic chase ended Monday night when authorities clipped the suspect's van, flipping the vehicle over.

The pursuit began two hours earlier, around 8:00 p.m. Monday, in Oaklyn, Camden County.

Action News has learned Oaklyn police tried to make a traffic stop when the driver took off.

Oaklyn police ran his license plate and discovered there was a warrant out for the driver's arrest due to an armed robbery in Gloucester Township. He allegedly used a shotgun.

Sources identified the suspect as Ritter.

Police say the white van left Oaklyn and went over the Walt Whitman Bridge.

The vehicle then went on I-95 south in Pennsylvania, off at Bartram Avenue, back on I-95 North, off at Broad, back onto I-95 North and back over the Walt Whitman into New Jersey.

From there the van went through Camden and into Deptford. At one point, the driver stopped at the Deptford Mall before taking off again.

The van then went across the Ben Franklin Bridge, down around Independence Mall, and looped through Society Hill back into Old City and Northern Liberties before heading back onto I-95 South.

The chase ended at Island and Enterprise avenues in Southwest Philadelphia as police bumped the van causing it to roll over. The driver escaped with his hands up and was arrested.

Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker tells Action News the suspect struck two highway patrol cars during the chase.

The suspect received minor injuries in the crash. He was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment and released into police custody early Tuesday morning.

"He will be charged in Philadelphia with three counts of aggravated assault against the officers that he crashed into and then extradited eventually to New Jersey to face the robbery charges," Walker said.

No officers were injured.

Action News has learned the van will be taken to the police impound where they will work to secure a search warrant. They will be checking for weapons inside the van.

Police say during the chase they operated as if the driver was armed.