Searchers find body after man drives into Oklahoma River during chase

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A fire department dive team found a body in the Oklahoma River in south Oklahoma City Monday morning after a man drove into the river during a police chase.<br/><br/>Police say the

Monday, October 24th 2005, 6:26 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A fire department dive team found a body in the Oklahoma River in south Oklahoma City Monday morning after a man drove into the river during a police chase.

Police say the chase began about 1:30 Monday morning in Moore when officers tried to stop the man for violating a victim's protective order. Moore Police Sergeant Todd Strickland says the man drove away and the chase reached speeds of up to 100 miles per hour as they drove north on Interstate 35.

Police say it appeared the man then drove intentionally into the river near the I-35 and I-40 interchange.

Strickland says after the man drove into the river he crawled out of his car and began treading water and two officers went into the river, but he refused to swim to them and went under the water.

His body was found by a dive team about 5:45.

The man's name hasn't been released.