Man captured who swam for freedom in Missouri River after leading police on chase | The Kansas City Star

Police captured a man from the Missouri River after he led police on a high-speed chase and then tried swimming to escape capture Wednesday afternoon.

Rescue boats from both Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City fire departments were launched to rescue the man.

A woman reportedly was in custody, according to radio traffic.

The chase began on the Missouri side when the driver rammed a police vehicle and then sped away.

The driver led police on a high-speed chase into Kansas, through the Fairfax Industrial District and onto Levee Road near Sunshine Road.

At one point during the chase, the hood of the fleeing vehicle popped up and blocked the windshield. Police commented over the radio that they didn’t know how the driver could see to drive.

A man and woman bailed from the vehicle. The woman was captured shortly thereafter. The man, however, jumped into the Missouri River and tried to swim across to the Riverside area.

The man made it across the river and into some woods. He then jumped back into the river but was captured shortly thereafter when a boat with Kansas City, Kan., firefighters caught him.