Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

Man crashes car, swims across Lake Lanier to escape, authorities say

A man was arrested Monday after crashing his truck and trying to swim across Lake Lanier to escape authorities, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. (Credit: Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Facebook)
A man was arrested Monday after crashing his truck and trying to swim across Lake Lanier to escape authorities, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. (Credit: Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Facebook)
By Ellen Eldridge
May 10, 2016

Most people know not to run from police after an accident, but swimming away isn’t a good choice either.

Forsyth County deputies said Tyler O’Donnell, 24, crashed his truck Monday on Ga. 400 north at the Lake Lanier bridge jumped into the water to avoid arrest.

“We set up a great perimeter thanks to there being so many units in the south end at the time,” the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday in a Facebook post. “K-9 was deployed while units from all across the agency assisted.”

O’Donnell swam across Lake Lanier and deputies on a nearby boat followed him.

“He was then surrounded on a small and heavily wooded peninsula, where he was quickly taken into custody,” the Facebook post said.

Georgia State Patrol handled the crash and took O’Donnell into custody because the accident was within Cumming limits.

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