Not often does a motorist drives a car into Hillsborough Bay near downtown Tampa, but that is what occurred Thursday night.
Shortly after 9 p.m, emergency personnel responded to a call of a vehicle in the water off Davis Islands, south of downtown.
When police and paramedics reached the Davis Islands beach area minutes later, they spotted a vehicle about 50 yards off shore.
How did it get there?
According to Tampa police, Douglas Mark Richards of Palm Harbor drove his vehicle down the boat ramp in the 1100 block of Severn Ave. on the island and ended up in the water.
Members of the Tampa police dive team were called out to attach a wrecker's cable to the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled from the water and towed from the scene.
Richards was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence and booked into the Hillsborough County Jail. He is scheduled for a first appearance this morning.
