A black Dodge Charger led Loudon County Sheriff's Office deputies on a chase through rural East Tennessee roads just after midnight Sunday before the driver sent the car plunging into the Tennessee River. The driver, later identified as Fernando Jose Pascula-Tomas, climbed out without injury and was taken into custody.
The chase wound through Pond Creek Road and Highway 11 before entering the city of Loudon. Deputies called off the active pursuit before a bystander witnessed the car drive directly into the river.
Pascula-Tomas escaped the submerged vehicle without injury and was taken into custody. Pulling the Charger out of the river required a coordinated effort involving the Loudon Fire Department, Loudon County Emergency Management, the Loudon County Dive Team, and James Towing.
A Pattern of River Plunges Across East Tennessee
Rescue divers and Rural Metro Fire pulled a person from a car submerged in water in Knox County after witnesses spotted glowing headlights beneath the surface, as Hoodline previously reported.
The river has also proven fatal. In June, an 89-year-old man died after his pickup truck plunged into the Tennessee River near Volunteer Landing in Knoxville, according to a report from WVLT8. And in February 2024, a Meigs County Sheriff's deputy and a handcuffed arrestee both drowned in the river when the deputy's patrol car accidentally rolled into the water along an unlit, unfamiliar rural river landing, per a report cited by Pajiba.
Loudon County itself has seen suspects take to the water before during police pursuits. In April 2025, authorities launched a multi-day search and recovery effort in the Tennessee River after two teenagers jumped into the water following a chase, a case Hoodline covered at the time in its report on the teens presumed lost in river.
What Pascula-Tomas Could Face in Court
Tennessee law addresses fleeing from law enforcement in a vehicle. Under Tennessee Code § 39-16-603, evading arrest in a motor vehicle is an offense, according to the Oberman & Rice Law Firm. The potential consequences depend on the applicable law and the circumstances of the case.
Driving on a revoked or suspended license can carry legal consequences.
The Chase Route
The chase's route included Pond Creek Road and Highway 11 in Loudon County before entering the city of Loudon.
Loudon County's river corridor has seen other law enforcement encounters.
