ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Two people were rushed to the hospital Wednesday after a man drove into the Matanzas River while attempting to evade pursuing deputies, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office told News4Jax.
According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies were responding to a report of a missing and endangered man in a vehicle out of Flagler County.
A deputy attempted to stop the driver on U.S. 1 South, but he took off at a high rate of speed, the Sheriff's Office said. The deputy lost sight of the vehicle as the driver turned onto Shore Drive.
That's when the man lost control going into a sharp turn, drove off the road, and the car careened into the river.
SJCFR responded to a submerged vehicle at 5:10 pm in the area of Segovia Rd. and Shore Dr. in St. Augustine. 2 patients...
Posted by St. Johns County Fire Rescue on Wednesday, June 27, 2018
St. Johns County Fire Rescue said the man and his passenger -- a woman -- were rescued from the water. On Thursday, the Sheriff's Office said they were in stable condition.
Several fishermen who observed the crash assisted deputies and Fire Rescue get the man and woman out of the car.