Casper man misses second court date after high-speed crash on Coffman Avenue

Ryan Robert Bertagnole, 51, failed to show up in Casper circuit court for the second consecutive day. The absence follows a Sunday night incident in which he allegedly fled from officers and crashed into a parked vehicle.

Casper Police Officer John Kidd was stationed at the Sunrise Shopping Center shortly after midnight on Sunday. He observed a blue Chevrolet Camaro with a racing stripe pull into the lot. Kidd identified the car as belonging to Bertagnole, who had two existing warrants against him.

The Camaro turned off its lights and accelerated north on Coffman Avenue. Kidd estimated the vehicle reached 80 miles per hour before it struck a parked Ford F-250 just north of 39th Street. Bertagnole attempted to run on foot but was caught by another officer at the scene.

The damaged Ford F-250 was booked at a cost of $17,000 and is likely totaled. Officers found about 0.3 grams of suspected methamphetamine in a bag in Bertagnole’s pocket. He told officers that the Camaro was uninsured and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Bertagnole previously faced a felony theft warrant for approximately $2,300 in unauthorized charges on a family member’s card last summer. He also had a warrant for revoking misdemeanor probation for domestic battery, with reports that he failed to report during the days before the theft.

Judge Nichole Collier set a $100,000 cash or surety bond for the new felony eluding case on Tuesday. Bertagnole is charged with felony eluding for causing over $10,000 in property damage, third-time possession of a controlled substance, and reckless driving.

Additional bonds were set for the older warrants. A $3,000 cash or surety bond applies to the theft case, while a $1,000 cash or surety bond covers the probation revocation. Bertagnole is presumed innocent unless found or pleading guilty.