Man trying to escape Arlington police crashes his vehicle into lake

A man who tried to outrun police in a sports utility vehicle and crashed that vehicle into Lake Arlington, then tried to get away by swimming to the other side.

He did not complete his escape.

Police arrested Daniel Basham, 40, and he faces charges of driving while intoxicated, evading arrest and detention in a vehicle, and possession of a controlled substance, according to a statement from Arlington police. Officers found drugs inside the vehicle, according to the statement.

Basham’s city of residence was not listed.

An officer was patrolling Richard Simpson Park about 6:40 p.m. Friday when a resident flagged him down to report that a possible impaired driver had struck his vehicle twice, the statement said.

The officer located the suspect vehicle in the immediate neighborhood before it drove away, police said. As the officer pursued the suspected impaired driver, the suspect drove his vehicle into Lake Arlington near the dock.

The suspect then jumped out of the vehicle’s window and tried to swim for the Fort Worth side. He soon tired and swam back to the dock and the awaiting officers, the statement said.

The suspect was taken to a local hospital for treatment as a precaution but he isn’t thought to be seriously injured, according to police.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 10:04 PM with the headline "Man trying to escape Arlington police crashes his vehicle into lake."