WHITE CITY, Ore. – A man was arrested after driving a piece of stolen heavy equipment into a river.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s said on Sunday evening, Chad Michael Heppner was driving a stolen front-end loader on Agate Road near Avenue G in White City.
Deputies tried to pull Heppner over, but he tried to lose them, running through several signs and ramming a patrol car in the process.
Eventually, the pursuit led to the Takelma boat ramp, where Heppner drove the loader into the Rogue River. Investigators said Heppner then swam across the river and ran into a nearby wooded area.
The sheriff’s office used K9 Titan to track Heppner down. He was taken into custody about an hour and a half after the pursuit began.
JCSO said Heppner is also suspected of using the loader to flip over a vehicle on Finley Road the day before he was caught.
Heppner was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on numerous charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, eluding police, reckless endangering, aggravated theft and criminal mischief.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.