CITY OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A police chase in the City of Tonawanda ended Sunday night with two men in custody and a car being pulled from Ellicott Creek.
The incident happened a little after 7 p.m. Authorities said the car came down Fletcher Street, hitting the Anerald Boat Club before continuing into the creek. Skidmarks were visible on Fletcher Street in the wake of the crash.
Police say 37-year-old Ernest Green and 36-year-old Daniel Rodriguez bailed out of the vehicle before it went into the creek.
Tonawanda Police and various north town dive teams are in Ellicott Creek tonight. A source at the scene tells me a car went into the creek after a police chase with Tonawanda PD. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/gg4KIFAJyr
— WKBW Photog -- "BNL" (@PhotogWKBW) September 9, 2019
Both Green and Rodriguez tried to swim to the other side of the creek and at one point began to struggle in the water, according to police. Officers threw ropes to the suspects and helped them a shore. Green and Rodriguez were taken into custody.
It took dive teams several hours to retrieve the car from the creek, finally removing it just after 11 p.m. Police say they were looking for an object that was thrown into the water by one of the suspects. It's unclear if that object was recovered.
Green is charged with Aggravated unlicensed operation, fleeing a police officer, obstructing government administration and 19 traffic charges. Police charged Rodriguez with obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.
