A Tennessee driver apparently found an unusually effective way to make sure his Dodge Charger wasn’t going anywhere after a high-speed pursuit. The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office says Fernando Jose Pascula-Tomas fled from a deputy before a witness saw a vehicle speed down a boat ramp and into the Tennessee River.
The encounter began just after midnight when Deputy Jesse Garren spotted a black Dodge Charger traveling northbound on I-75 at a high rate of speed without its headlights on. When Garren attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the sheriff’s office says the driver refused to stop and fled.
The pursuit left I-75 at Pond Creek Road before continuing along Highway 11 through Philadelphia and into the City of Loudon. Deputies and Loudon Police officers eventually lost sight of the Charger near Loudon High School and terminated the pursuit.
Moments later, however, a witness called the authorities with a significant development: a vehicle matching the one deputies had been chasing. The sheriff’s office says a vehicle had driven at high speed from the Ferry Street boat ramp directly into the Tennessee River.
Police Find Driver, but Charger Is Already Underwater
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Loudon Police officers located and detained the driver following the plunge until Garren arrived and took him into custody. Authorities identified the driver as Pascula-Tomas and said he was not injured during the incident.
The Charger had already sunk into the Tennessee River by the time authorities dealt with what remained of the pursuit. The Loudon Fire Department, Loudon County Emergency Management, Loudon County Dive Team and James Towing assisted with locating and recovering the submerged vehicle.
The sheriff’s office did not explain why Pascula-Tomas drove onto the Ferry Street boat ramp or whether entering the river was intentional. Its account establishes that a witness reported seeing the vehicle drive into the water at a high rate of speed shortly after officers lost sight of it.
River Plunge Ends With Felony Evading Charge
Pascula-Tomas was arrested on charges of felony evading arrest and driving on a revoked or suspended license. The sheriff’s office says he also received multiple traffic citations but did not identify each of those citations in its announcement.
Despite the high-speed pursuit and the Charger ending up underwater, authorities said Pascula-Tomas escaped the incident without injury. The sheriff’s office also did not report any injuries to deputies, police officers, or members of the public.
A search of the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Portal did not turn up additional information about Pascula-Tomas or the incident. The search is for inmates who are still being held as of the last 24 hours.
Another Driver Learned the Landscape Can End a Police Chase
Guessing Headlights has covered another pursuit where the surrounding terrain became a significant part of an attempted escape. In El Paso, Texas, police said a driver fled a traffic stop in an Audi before eventually leaving the roadway and trying to continue his escape through the desert on foot.
Officers said Christian Esparza abandoned the Audi after driving onto a dirt road and eventually getting stuck. His attempt to keep going on foot didn’t last much longer, with officers catching him and taking him into custody.
The circumstances are different, but both pursuits ended after fleeing drivers encountered terrain considerably less accommodating than pavement. In Pascula-Tomas’ case, however, authorities needed a dive team and towing company to bring the vehicle portion of the pursuit back onto dry land.
Please note that these are arrests, not convictions. Each suspect is considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.