A week after a fatal multivehicle pileup in south Minneapolis, police are seeking the public's help in finding an unlicensed motorist who got into a rolling confrontation with people in another vehicle before he ran a red light, causing the accident.

Raheem Quanta Meekins, 26, of Minneapolis, is not only wanted in connection with the pileup on the morning of April 30 at Blaisdell Avenue S. and W. 26th Street, but there also is an existing warrant out for his arrest, police said this week.

Passenger Jason Ritenour, 32, of Minneapolis, died in one of the four vehicles caught up in the wreck. His wife, Gaea Dill-D'Ascoli, survived her injuries, which sent her to the hospital.

The crash occurred about 9:35 a.m. when two vehicles heading south on Blaisdell ran a red light and crashed into two vehicles traveling west on 26th, police said. Ritenour was in a car on 26th being driven by his wife.

Police late last week disclosed for the first time that the people in the two vehicles that ran the red light had been in a rolling confrontation right up to the time of the crash.

The two vehicles "were driving fast, [and] people were yelling at each other … and chasing each other," said Police Sgt. Catherine Michal. "They went through a red [while] having their fight with each other."

Jason Ritenour

Meekins and two people in his SUV fled on foot, while three others in the second vehicle on Blaisdell stayed at the scene. One person who fled was located, questioned by police and released.

The existing warrant for Meekins' arrest goes back to two felony drug convictions in Hennepin County. He was imprisoned until March 7 and then put on supervised release to serve the balance of his sentence, according to state records.

Meekins was driving with a revoked license at the time of the crash, the state Department of Public Safety said Thursday. He has repeatedly been caught driving with a suspended license, according to court records.

Along with the drug offenses and driving violations, Meekins' criminal history in Minnesota includes convictions for violating orders for protection in connection with domestic abuse and burglary.

Anyone with information is asked to text police with a tip to 847411. Enter MPD, a space and then the information. Tips can also be called in to 612-292-8477.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482