Police: Naked man crashes vehicle into Susquehanna River after high-speed chase

March 4, 2013

White Punks on Dope



Update, 7:30 p.m.:

A man wanted for a carjacking in Maryland led police on a chase in York County on Sunday morning - driving 90 mph at times and trying to ram police twice - then drove a stolen minivan into the Susquehanna River.

When police arrived near the crashed vehicle in Goldsboro, the man "was standing on top of the car, naked, as the vehicle was submerging," Springettsbury Township Police Chief Thomas Hyers said.

The chase originated in Springettsbury Township about 10:15 a.m., and was first reported as an erratic driver in a green minivan taxi cab, Hyers said.

It crossed three jurisdictions, Springettsbury Township, Northern York County Regional and Newberry Township.

 "At one point, there were five (police) cars in the pursuit," Hyers said.

Newberry Township Police Officer Kevin Romine said the pursuit began near the intersection of East Market Street and Route 24.

The vehicle, a green Plymouth Voyager, was owned by Victory Cab Company and had been reported stolen earlier that day, Romine said.

The man, who police did not identify, was wanted in Maryland for an armed robbery, which allegedly he had committed just prior to taking the minivan, Romine said.

When Springettsbury Township Police spotted it, the minivan was traveling with a flat tire. When officers tried to stop the minivan, it fled, traveled into Manchester Township, and got on Interstate 83, Romine said.

The minivan reached speeds of 80-90 mph while on I-83 North, Hyers said. It then got off I-83 and drove into Newberry Township's jurisdiction, and eventually into Goldsboro, Romine said.

Goldsboro resident Adrienne Intrieri, 24, said she was in her home watching television when a car sped by, with several police vehicles behind it.

"So I knew something was going on," she said. "It's kind of crazy - stuff like this doesn't happen around here."

"It was a minivan floating down the river with a naked guy on it waving his underwear over his head," said Michael Shirk of Goldsboro.

 The minivan landed in the river at 10:37 a.m., in about eight feet of water, Romine said. After the driver got out of the minivan and swam to shore, police arrested him and took him to York Hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

Recovery crews responded to the first block of South River Street, where the vehicle went into the river, to see if they could find it. they spent several hours looking for it, plumbing the waters with long poles, and using sonar equipment to try to detect it.

At 3:15 p.m., Hyers said that the crews had not found the minivan and were about to wrap up the search for the day, and resume again Monday.

"They think it (the minivan) is as much as three-quarters of a mile down the river," Hyers said.

Reported earlier: Update, 12 p.m.: A chase that crossed three jurisdictions and reached speeds of more than 80 mph ended with a man standing naked on his vehicle as it sank in the Susquehanna River this afternoon, police said.

When police arrived near the crashed vehicle in Goldsboro, the man "was standing on top of the car, naked, as the vehicle was submerging," Springettsbury Township Police Chief Thomas Hyers said.

The chase originated in Springettsbury Township and was first reported as an erratic driver in a green minivan taxi cab, Hyers said. It crossed three jurisdictions, Springettsbury Township, Northern York County Regional and Newberry Township.

The vehicle was reported carjacked earlier this morning, Hyers said. The vehicle reached speeds between 80 to 90 mph and tried to ram police vehicles twice during the pursuit, he said.

The man was taken to York Hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

Original report: A search crew is working to recover a vehicle from the Susquehanna River in Goldsboro.

Crews are currently working in the water to recover the vehicle. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

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