Print edition: 
A 24-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a south Wichita car theft early Monday morning that sent a woman to a local hospital with serious injuries.
The man was arrested shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday in the 12000 block of East Central, between Greenwich Road and 127th Street East, police records indicate.
He was driving the silver Toyota Echo that had been reported stolen at about 6:30 a.m. in the 2100 block of South Madison, near I-135 and Mount Vernon. A 52-year-old woman had started her car and then returned to her house while it warmed up, police said.
A short time later, she and her husband heard the car door open and close. They went outside and saw a man in his late teens or early 20s in the car, they told police.
The husband stood in front of the car and the wife stood behind the car, trying to keep it from leaving. The man backed out of the driveway, knocking the woman underneath the car. She was dragged down the driveway and into the street. When the driver pulled forward, she was freed. She remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon..
An officer spotted the stolen car early Tuesday afternoon, and after other officers arrived in the area he attempted to stop the car, Lt. Doug Nolte said. A short chase ensued before the driver jumped a curb with the car and then tried to flee on foot. He ran about 100 yards to a retention pond, where he tried to escape by swimming away. But officers surrounded the pond and he surrendered, Nolte said.
A passenger in the Echo at the time of the arrest was questioned but later released. He did not realize the car had been stolen and even pulled on the emergency brake to slow the vehicle when the chase began, Nolte said.
