A Florida man has been arrested despite jumping off a bridge while fleeing a traffic stop.
earlier this month police officers attempted to pull over a stolen van that, as was later verified, was driven by 34-year-old Bryan Gray. However, Gray didn’t stop and fled the scene.
A police aviation unit was quickly dispatched to the scene and followed Gray as he sped across the Edison Bridge in Fort Myers. Suddenly, the van started to skid and swerved to the right, slamming into a guardrail on the side of the bridge. The force of the impact sent the van careening into the guardrail on the other side of the bridge before finally came to a rest in the middle of the road.
Watch Also: Watch Madcap Hyundai Motorist Drive Over NY Police Car After Being Tased
Rather than surrendering to police who were pursuing him on the ground, the man can be seen running out from the wrecked van and heading straight to the side of the bridge. He climbs the guard rail and without a second thought jumps off and into the water, dozens of feet below him.
Apparently the 34-year-old thought he would be able to escape justice this way. However, the thermal vision of the police helicopter was able to lock onto him while ground units sent out a boat to retrieve the man.
“While he may not have earned a gold medal for his high dive, Gray did find himself in hot water when he earned pending charges of Grand Theft Auto and Fleeing and Eluding,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.