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May 2, 2008 5:51 am US/Pacific
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Wild Pursuit Ends At L.A. Port (Yes, In The Water)
LOS ANGELES
A man was arrested early Friday morning after leading police on a chase that climaxed at the port of Los Angeles, where the suspect drove a stolen van off the roadway and into harbor waters.
The pursuit began when police spotted a van running a red light near the area of South Broadway and West Gage Avenue around 1:45 a.m., according to Sgt. Jim Lewis of the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street Station.
The suspect refused to stop the van, and a chase ensued, Lewis said.
The pursuit continued on the southbound Harbor (110) Freeway to the Los Angeles Harbor area, where the man drove toward Berth 194 at the Port of Los Angeles, then off a jetty, sending the van into the water, Lewis said.
After fleeing the vehicle, the man suspect then stood shirtless on the van's roof, dove into the water and eluded officers by swimming around for 15 minutes.
He eventually boarded a Los Angeles City Fire boat and was taken into custody, Lewis said.
The suspect told police he had no idea he was driving near the water until the van's airbag deployed, hit him in the chest and water began entering the vehicle, Lewis said, adding that the vehicle appears to be stolen.
Police divers checked for additional occupants in the van, submerged some 40 feet in the water, but none were found, RMG reported.
The suspect's name has not been released.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)