Florida officers jump into river to arrest suspect who fled car crash

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Raw video: Florida officers jump into river in pursuit of suspect

Aerial footage shows the conclusion of the officers' pursuit of the suspect who hit a detective stopped at a traffic light.

Florida deputies arrested a man who tried to flee a car crash Tuesday by jumping into the Hillsborough River, officials said.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said that one of its deputies and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper jumped into the river to apprehend 43-year-old Jack Knapper.

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The sheriff’s office aviation unit captured the arrest in a dramatic video.

Authorities say Knapper was behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang that rear-ended an unmarked vehicle driven by a sheriff's detective at a Tampa traffic light. Knapper allegedly ignored the detective's instruction to pull over and sped off.

Jack Knapper (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)

Soon after, a witness who witnessed the accident called the sheriff's office and told investigators that they had followed Knapper's car onto the highway, where he abandoned the Mustang and ran through a wooded area before jumping into the river.

The news outlet said Knapper was charged with leaving the scene of a crash, fleeing to elude, driving without a valid license and resisting arrest without violence.

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Investigators say Knapper could also face a possible DUI charge. He was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for exhaustion.

"We couldn't have asked for a better outcome in this case," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "Our HCSO deputies and FHP troopers worked together seamlessly to take a dangerous driver off of the road and take him into custody without anyone getting hurt,"

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