Car plunges into Columbia after police chase

PORTLAND, Ore. – Dive teams located a vehicle that left Northeast Marine Drive Monday morning during a police chase and then sank in the Columbia River.

The vehicle was found upside down on the river bottom.

Police first contacted the driver of the car at the Jubitz truck stop on North Vancouver Street in Portland at around 5 a.m. A chase lasting about five minutes then ensued.

Police deployed spike strips and initial reports from the scene indicated the vehicle did run over them before the chase was called off, but police later would not confirm the car hit the devices. The car went into the river shortly afterward.

Divers located the vehicle near where Northeast 112th Avenue intersects with Northeast Marine Drive. Marine Drive was closed in the area near the incident.

Police said they called off the chase at about 5:20 a.m. due to the high speeds involved but the suspect vehicle still ended up in the river.

A passenger in the car was ejected before it went into the river and the driver of the vehicle was reportedly still inside when it hit the water and sank.

Divers reported they did not see anyone in the car during a "first pass" of the vehicle. Police later said there was no body in the car when it was pulled from the river.

The condition of the passenger was listed as critical according to police. Police have not yet indicated why they were chasing the vehicle.

Recovery efforts and an investigation into the incident were ongoing Monday. The names of the passenger or driver have not been released.