Clinton Eric Bishop, 44, of Tampa, is facing charges of reckless driving, assault on a law enforcement officer, and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.
Witnesses told Lakeland police that they saw the truck driving at “an extreme rate of speed” west on Bay Street, by the Lake Wire Inn. They said that when the truck approached the curve to turn south on Lake Wire Drive, he lost control of the vehicle, causing the truck to go into an uncontrolled spin and wind up in the lake.
According to the report, Lakeland Police Officer Tony Stephens arrived, Bishop, who made it out of the submerged truck and became belligerent.
Stephens put Bishop in handcuffs and placed him under arrest.
A 6-year-old girl had to be pulled from a truck partially submerged in Lake Wire.
Bishop was booked into the Polk County Jail after midnight on Christmas and bonded out the same day on $1250.