A traffic stop that turned into a chase through Carrollton ended as a water rescue when fire crews had to remove a driver from his SUV.
Carrollton police say an officer attempted to stop a green Ford Explorer for a traffic violation on the 1700 block of Interstate 35E on Tuesday.
The driver sped off and officers followed for about eight minutes before the driver ran off the road, hitting a power pole.
A spokesperson for the Carrollton Police Department, Nicole Rodriguez, told NBC 5 that the driver lost control of the vehicle on Luna Drive on a bridge near Diplomat Drive.
The driver crashed into a nearby canal.
The Carrollton Fire Department rescued the driver who was trapped inside the SUV. The driver had critical injuries and was taken to the hospital. That driver remains hospitalized Wednesday morning.
The driver's information along with any charges faced haven't been released.
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Kurt Howell said he witnessed the crash.
"I heard a loud bang. Louder than what I normally hear when trucks go over the bridge. A couple of loud bangs and a scraping noise. So it startled me enough that I got up from my desk and ran out here," Howell said Tuesday.
Luna Road was closed while investigators worked on the crash and crews installed a new power pole. Carrollton police said all lanes of the road were reopened at 5:55 a.m.
Crews had to call in a heavy wrecker to remove the SUV from the water on Wednesday morning.
