A driver was arrested Monday morning after eluding police, hitting a hot tub, crashing into a cop car and ditching his SUV in a thicket of blackberry bushes, police said.

Justin Greenslitt, 29, was arrested on suspicion of assorted charges and a parole violation warrant, police said. His passenger, 37-year-old Alexander King, was jailed on multiple warrants, according to police. Both were treated for exposure and minor injuries and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.

An officer first tried to stop Greenslitt for a traffic violation around Southeast 106th Avenue and Division Street at 2 a.m., Portland police said in a news release.

Police said Greenslitt pulled a U-turn toward the officer's patrol car shortly after the officer turned on his emergency lights. He went over a curb, hit a fence and hot tub and banged into the cop car's bumper.

Minor damage to the police car PIT bumper, which is designed to absorb some impact. pic.twitter.com/dvuW1wpgdR — PPB East Precinct (@ppbeast) September 25, 2017

Officers chased his 1990 Toyota 4Runner throughout Southeast Portland, police said, but he was stymied by the dead end of 117th Avenue near Reedway Street.

Greenslitt tried to put the 4Runner's off-road capabilities to the test, however, by crashing over a berm and into some blackberry bushes.

That didn't work.

He and King both tried to flee on foot, according to police. King was captured — his flight slowed by the berry bushes, police said.

Greenslitt, meanwhile, was able to get away for the time being, according to police.

Although search efforts were "complicated by heavy vegetation and the swamp-like conditions," police said they eventually found Greenslitt hiding in a waterbody near the Springwater Corridor.

Passenger caught right away in sticker bush, driver located by K9 Maverick and his partner Ofcr Sweeney after hiding in swamp for an hour. pic.twitter.com/c8bQaLuV0Z — PPB East Precinct (@ppbeast) September 25, 2017

Greenslitt and King suffered their injuries when they crashed over the berm, police said. The officer whose car was hit wasn't injured.

— Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015