Witnesses described how the man jumped into the Clutha River to evade arrest after leading police on a car chase before crashing into a truck about noon yesterday.
The pursuit began in Roxburgh at 11.45am, when the man was spotted driving erratically in Scotland St and failed to stop for police.
Police deployed road spikes in Fruitlands-Roxburgh Rd.
The man then crashed into a truck, before abandoning the car and running away.
He was seen sprinting towards the Clutha, and a witness reported seeing him jump into the river.
The river, which is the swiftest in New Zealand, was in flood.
He was located and arrested a short time later.
They thought they had stumbled on to a movie set, they told the Otago Daily Times.
They realised it was something more serious when they were directed away from the area by police.
Old Bridge Rd resident Jill Spencer was at the front of her property when she saw a young man run past with two police in pursuit.
The man ran down a private driveway at the end of Old Bridge Rd.
Her next-door neighbour, who did not want to be named, said he saw the man get tasered, but he kept running.
Russell Butt, who lives at the end of Old Bridge Rd, said he saw a man run down his driveway, leap through the beehives in his backyard and then jump over a bank.
One policeman followed him over the bank, while the second ran back up the road, Mr Butt said.
State Highway 8 was closed for a time because of the crash, and reopened at 2.45pm.
Police confirmed the Independent Police Conduct Authority would be notified of the incident.
A St John spokeswoman said the man was assessed by ambulance staff and did not need to be transported elsewhere.
No injuries were reported as a result of the crash with the truck.
