Man drives van into Cedar River
Published 9:25 am Wednesday, November 3, 2010

A tow crew from Car Nu Towing works to figure out how to get a van out of the Cedar River Tuesday afternoon near the Roosevelt Bridge. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
An Austin man drove his van into Cedar River near the Roosevelt Bridge Tuesday around 12:30 p.m.
Ray Freese, 62, was driving north on Main Street and narrowly missed hitting two county workers before turning eastbound on Ninth Avenue Southeast and running a stop sign.
An Austin police officer observed Freese run the stop sign and turned on his lights to pull over Freese, but the van accelerated and drove off the road and into Whittier Park. Freese swerved around several trees as he sped toward the Cedar River and entered the water just east of the Roosevelt Bridge, tipping onto its passenger side upon stopping.

EMTs and Austin firefighters tend to the driver of a van, behind, that careened into the Cedar River Tuesday afternoon. The man was taken to the hospital by ambulance. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The officer climbed into the driver’s side of the van and found Freese standing on the passenger door. Freese told the officer he didn’t know what just happened and that he saw the river coming but could not avoid it.
Although Freese appeared uninjured, he was taken to Austin Medical Center by ambulance as a precaution.
Freese is being cited for reckless driving.