DATE: Friday, September 6, 2019
SUBJECT: Driver of Stolen Vehicle Crashes Into Ohio River
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-NR-043
CONTACT: Lieutenant Mark Rasure or Sergeant Jason King
AUTHORITY: Sheriff Dave Wedding
On Friday, September 06, 2019 at 12:41 a.m. deputies with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to David Enterprises on Evansville’s west side in regards to a vehicle being driven through the fence surrounding the business. Deputies discovered at that time that the vehicle was stolen from the business. Approximately twenty minutes later deputies were dispatched to a hit and run collision that occurred in the campground at Burdette Park. The suspect vehicle description given to dispatch matched the description of the stolen vehicle.
At 1:40 a.m. Evansville Police Department (EPD) Officers located a vehicle matching the description of the stolen vehicle traveling eastbound on the Lloyd Expressway near Fulton Avenue. EPD officers attempted to stop the vehicle near Ohio Street and Ray Becker Parkway. The unidentified driver of the vehicle refused to stop and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit continued into the Ohio River bottoms on Old Henderson Road. Near the 15000 block of Old Henderson Road the driver steered the vehicle down the river bank and crashed into the river.
The driver of the vehicle then fled further into the water to evade capture. Water rescue personnel from the Perry Township Fire Department and Henderson County responded to the scene in order to conduct rescue efforts. The Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Agency responded to conduct an aerial search of the area. The driver of the vehicle has not been located. The investigation is ongoing. More information will be released as it becomes available.
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