A dramatic scene unfolded in Anderson, Indiana, when a Hartford City man led state police on a high-speed chase that ended with him jumping into the rapidly flowing White River. According to WTHR, the chase began yesterda, approximately at 5 p.m. when a trooper attempted to stop a white Volkswagen for travelling 89 mph in a 70 mph zone on Interstate 69, just north of Anderson.
As Indiana State Police conveyed, the alleged driver decided to abruptly exit the vehicle and bail on foot, with a female passenger left behind. This initiated a foot pursuit that led to the river, where the man would soon deliberately jump into the treacherous waters in a bid to avoid arrest. FOX59 reported that recent storms had caused the river to swell, its currents rushing more fiercely than usual, which carried the man downstream until he grabbed onto a pile of brush.
The Anderson Fire Department was promptly on the scene for a water rescue. The man, identified as Sebastian Southerland, was discovered clinging to the brush in the water and was extracted safely. A water rescue, often fraught with peril, did not go without its toll on the first responders. An Anderson firefighter incurred an injury during the operation but thankfully was treated and released from the hospital. Southerland was transported to the hospital in critical condition, as WISH-TV reported.
Despite his extreme efforts to elude custody, Southerland was not only rescued but also faces a slate of charges. Indiana State Police say he was already wanted on an active arrest warrant for dealing methamphetamine. The charges now piling up against him include resisting arrest with a vehicle, resisting arrest causing injury, reckless driving, and operating while intoxicated.
