A routine traffic stop in Pine Bluff turned into a pursuit that ended with a car in a pond. No, we’re not making this up. How does one go from a traffic stop to a pond? We’re about to tell you. Arkansas State Police say the driver suddenly sped off while a trooper was standing right at the vehicle. A chase followed, and it came to a stop only when the car left the road and went into the water. Two people were arrested. Neither has been convicted of anything at this point.
It really shouldn’t have ended that way, though. In fact, it actually started out as a normal traffic stop. The trooper had approached the vehicle and was standing beside it when the driver decided to make a break for it. Dashcam video captured the car pulling away and then fleeing down the road. From there, troopers gave chase to try and catch it.
The pursuit only ended when the vehicle left the roadway and shuttled forward into a pond. There’s no word on if anyone was injured or how the driver ever exited the water. But in the end, the troopers took two people into custody. Presumably, they were sopping wet.
Even with the specifics still thin, the shape of it is familiar to anyone who follows these chases. A stop escalates the moment a driver decides to run, and it usually doesn’t work for the escapee.. It rarely ends the way the driver hopes, actually. And when you try to run, that usually makes everything worse. We mean everything.
Why Fleeing a Traffic Stop Usually Doesn’t Work
Running from a traffic stop turns a small problem into a much bigger one. Whatever the reason for the original stop, fleeing is a crime on its own. That’s the case in Arkansas. Fleeing in a vehicle can be charged as a felony there, especially when a driver puts others at risk by speeding or driving recklessly. A ticket-level stop can end with far more serious charges instead.
Escaping is also unlikely, which is part of why troopers still pursue. Patrol cars have radios, other units, and often air support, so a fleeing driver is rarely running from just one officer. The bigger problem is the danger. High-speed chases put the driver, any passengers, other motorists, and pursuing officers all at risk, which is exactly why they so often end in a crash. In this case, it ended in a pond.
When a Chase Ends in the Water
A vehicle going into a pond adds a danger most chases don’t have. Water can flood a car fast. Doors become hard to open against the pressure once the car is submerged, and people have drowned in situations like that, sometimes in water that isn’t deep. Getting out quickly, through a window if needed, is what makes the difference.
For now, the case is in its early stages. Two people are in custody, and Arkansas State Police will sort out the charges, which could include fleeing on top of whatever prompted the original stop. Both are entitled to the presumption of innocence until the case is resolved. As for the pond, it’s simply where the chase happened to end. What could have been a routine stop became something a lot more serious.