ST. TAMMANY PARISH - A man was arrested Saturday night after stealing a car and crashing it into a pond near Covington.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said a Nissan Maxima was reported stolen from Lacombe early Saturday night.

Later that night, deputies responded to reports of a car crashing into a pond near Park Place and US 190 around 9:30 p.m.

Witnesses told deputies they saw the driver exit the submerged vehicle and swim to safety before running away from the scene.

The driver was quickly located and identified as 18-year-old Obie Williams. After apprehending Williams, the sheriff's office dive team was able to recover the vehicle.

Members of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office Dive Team identified the vehicle around 1 a.m. Sunday among freezing temperatures, confirming it was the stolen vehicle.

Williams was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Facility for theft of a motor vehicle, hit-and-run, and reckless driving. He was also booked on an open attachment for contempt of court, according to the sheriff's office.