ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies in St. Johns County located a woman who they said intentionally drove her vehicle into Matanzas River off of Harbor Drive on Tuesday night.
St. Johns County Fire Rescue said it initially received calls in reference to a car submerged in water off the Vilano Beach Causeway. Rescuers responded to the scene and searched thoroughly but did not find the driver of the vehicle.
Police said the woman drove her SUV into the water, got out of the vehicle safely and approached nearby residents. They said she was not hurt.
At some point the woman ventured back into the water, but after a thorough search of the area, deputies said they found no sign of the driver.
Deputies said they had been alerted by the Betty Griffin House, a domestic abuse shelter, to be on the lookout for the woman because she'd made suicidal threats.
Deputies said before she drove into the river, she stopped at a nearby house and told the resident she was being chased by someone. The woman went back to the SUV for her purse, deputies said.
At 10 p.m. K-9 units found the woman in a marshy area in the Matanzas River. She made her way to shore and was transported to the hospital for a mental evaluation.