Newport police brief: Man arrested after trying to drive vehicle out of roadside pond

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A White Bear Lake man was arrested after police said he admitted that he had been drinking before he tried to drive his submerged vehicle out of a roadside pond.

Police were called at 3:45 a.m. Thursday, July 26, to northbound Highway 61 at Interstate 494 for a vehicle that was half-submerged in a holding pond along the highway.

“He was trying to drive it out (of the pond) when the officer got there,” Newport Police Chief Curt Montgomery said.

The driver, identified as 26-year-old Joseph T. Weaver, showed signs of intoxication and admitted to drinking before driving, according to a police report.

Weaver was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and transported to Washington County jail, where he was booked and released. His vehicle was towed from the pond.

Tags: crime and courts, updates, crime