Driver sinks his vehicle in the Rainbow River while trying to escape police

Editor’s note: This story has been edited to reflect that the photos were provided by the Dunnellon Police Department. An earlier version of the story misstated the source.

A speeding driver trying to evade arrest by police drove his car into the Rainbow River late Saturday.

Dunnellon police officials said the car contained a driver and three passengers. No one was injured. The sunken vehicle had not been recovered as of Sunday morning.

Police Chief Chris Scaglione said Officer Hannah Patterson was parked on East Pennsylvania Avenue at 9:36 p.m. Saturday to enforce traffic laws when she noticed a car speeding on the road.

When Patterson tried to turn on the headlights and siren to stop the vehicle, the driver of the speeding car turned off the headlights, the police chief said.

Patterson followed the vehicle as it entered the Blue Cove development. While searching for the car, the officer was flagged down by residents who said there was a vehicle in the Rainbow River. The officer followed the residents, who pointed out the car floating in the water.

Officers from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Captain Ron Bray of the DPD and their boat operator David White, were also called to the scene.