A 52-year-old man was found and arrested Monday morning in White County, hours after he drove an SUV into the Little Red River during a pursuit and disappeared, authorities said.
The chase began at 10:20 p.m. Sunday, when deputies tried to initiate a traffic stop on a Ford Explorer whose driver was later identified as Gary Clause, according to a news release by Cleburne County Sheriff Chris Brown.
Clause refused to stop, leading deputies to pursue him south on Arkansas 110 toward Pangburn, Brown said. According to the release, the SUV crossed an open field in White County before driving off an embankment into the Little Red River.
Authorities said the Explorer and its driver were carried downriver and out of sight. Deputies from the White County sheriff’s office found the SUV, the release states, but swift waters prevented rescue teams from retrieving the vehicle on Sunday.
White County deputies returning to the scene at about 7 a.m. on Monday found Clause walking on Arkansas 16 and took the man into custody.
Clause was transported to Cleburne County jail and remained there Monday afternoon, an online jail roster shows. Charges against him include felony fleeing, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license, the release states. Authorities said his bond is $50,000.