Houston police said officers spotted a black Kia Sorrento that had been reported stolen out of Fort Worth, Texas, around 2:07 a.m. on Houston's westside off Westheimer Road.
The officers initiated a traffic stop, but the Kia reportedly didn't stop, sparking a lengthy pursuit.
The chase came to an end near downtown in the 400 block of Jensen Drive when the vehicle drove through a parking lot and crashed into a guardrail leading down to Buffalo Bayou, according to HPD.
Four men between 19 and 20 years old got out of the Kia and ran toward the bayou. HPD said two of the suspects chose not to get into the water and were arrested.
The other two suspects jumped into the cold bayou. HPD said one immediately started asking for help, advising that he couldn't swim.
Officials with the Houston Fire Department threw him a rope and were able to pull him to land. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to HPD.
Meanwhile, officers knew the fourth suspect jumped into the water but quickly lost sight of him. HPD called for resources to come and assist the search for the suspect.
A dive team eventually found the fourth suspect dead in the water around 6 a.m., according to police.
Investigators believe all four suspects were from Fort Worth. It's unclear what brought them to Houston.
"To be honest with you, when they struck that guardrail, it probably saved all of their lives," Asst. Chief Luis Menendez-Sierra said. "Because if they did not strike that, they probably would have all went into the bayou in the car."
Of the two suspects who did not jump into the bayou, HPD said one was charged with felony evading and the other was charged with evading on foot.
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