SUV plunges into pond in McKenzie Towne

The man behind the wheel of an SUV that plunged into a pond in McKenzie Towne on Tuesday morning is now considered a suspect in that vehicle's theft.

Police say the white Ford Explorer was stolen last night sometime after 11 p.m. from the 0-100 block of Elgin Estates Hill S.E.

Emergency crews were called to the Inverness Pond at McKenzie Towne Link and Promenade Way S.E. at about 7:30 a.m. where a driver lost control and plunged into the water, the fire department said in a release.

The driver was able to get out and make it to shore, but he didn't stay at the scene, leaving fire officials unsure whether anyone was still trapped in the vehicle.

The suspect is described as darker-skinned, in his early 20s, approximately 6-feet-tall, with a slim build. He was wearing a black shirt and black Adidas track pants with a white stripe.

"The suspect would have been soaking wet when he left the scene and may have minor injuries," police said in a release.

Divers searched the vehicle, which had sunk to a depth of about 4.5 metres, and found no other people.

The fire department used air bags to lift the SUV so that it could be removed from the pond.

Crews set up a boomto contain any fluids that might have leaked from the vehicle, and a hazardous materials team was called out to help with the cleanup.

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