By Lori EhdeState Trooper Lori Martinson, Luverne, said she’s thankful to be alive after a fleeing suspect crashed into her parked squad car.Martinson assisted the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department Tuesday, March 21, in pursuit of a mentally unstable motorist who was speeding south on Highway 23.Authorities pursued 45-year-old Scott Armand Renneke, who fled from a hold in a Marshall mental health facility.Renneke reportedly careened through two counties in his 1993 Buick LeSabre before the chase ended 45 miles later in a crash about three miles northeast of Pipestone.Martinson and three other law enforcement officials were positioned at the intersection of Highway 23 and 121st Street ready to deploy stop sticks in order to deflate Renneke’s tires.By this time, he had already driven around stop sticks earlier in the chase, so Martinson said they had the road covered and were parked on the shoulders waiting."We were told he was traveling at 80 mph and picking up speed," Martinson said. "When he saw our lights, he started speeding up."She said she and the other officers expected Renneke would either drive through the stop sticks, stop before hitting them or take the ditch."But I noticed the car turn toward the southbound ditch where I was standing," she said. "I then realized he was driving straight toward the deputy and myself."She and Pipestone County Deputy Todd Siemonsma were both standing outside of their vehicles, and they ran for safety just in time."I looked back and saw that the car had rammed into our parked squads," she said. "I had been standing between the two vehicles."Officers had been alerted that the suspect would "take out anyone" who got in his way."It was obvious to me that the driver made a conscious decision to turn away from the stop sticks and drive into our parked cars," she said. "I’m feeling lucky we weren’t hurt. … We figure he was going 90 to 95 mph when he hit."The only one injured at the scene was Renneke, who is still recovering in St. Mary’s Hospital, Rochester.According to the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Department, charges are pending against Renneke, at least for first-degree assault and fleeing an officer.The squad cars, however, were totaled.Martinson said her squad car, valued at $25,000, was nearly new. "It only had about 18,000 miles on it."She said it’s important to emphasize that the squad cars were well off the road. "Some people think we set up an old-fashioned road block with our squad cars on the road," she said. "We were off on the shoulders out of the way." Also involved at the scene on the opposite side of the intersection were State Trooper Jon Olsen, Luverne, and Pipestone County Deputy Keith Vreeman.