Man arrested after car chase

An intoxicated Idaho man ended a high-speed car chase with Spokane police early Thursday morning by abandoning his vehicle, rolling down a hill and wading waist-deep into the Spokane River in an attempt to escape, police said.

The icy water gave him second thoughts.

Kriston K. Caldwell, 48, also known as Derrick B. Morrison, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, felony eluding a police officer and hit and run. His criminal history includes a rape conviction, authorities said.

The chase began around 1 a.m. when officers noticed Caldwell’s black Chrysler traveling eastbound on Sunset Highway with its right headlight dangling off of the car’s frame from a recent collision. Officers flashed emergency lights to pull the vehicle over, and ittook off at 60 mph on snow-covered streets.

At the intersection of Maple and First Street, the driver was unable to complete a left turn, and the Chrysler hit a cement curb and went airborne. When the car came to a stop, a man climbed out of the car and ran.

Washington State Patrol troopers said they spotted the man rolling down a steep embankment toward the Spokane River. When he saw the officers, he waded waist-deep into the river before returning to shore, where he was arrested.

At his arrest, Caldwell produced an Idaho driver’s license identifying him as Derrick Morrison, police said. However, officers at the Spokane County Jail recognized the man under a different name, and a booking photo identified him as Kriston Caldwell.

Caldwell has an extensive criminal history under both names in Washington, West Virginia and Illinois for rape, drug charges, assault and other crimes. According to police, he was highly intoxicated at the time of his arrest, and an open bottle of alcohol was found in his car. Caldwell, however, refused to take a breath test.