Man Rescued After Jumping Off Bay Bridge to Avoid Police Following Car Accident
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued the unidentified man, who jumped into the water after being involved in a rollover crash.
A California man was rescued by the U.S. Coast guard after jumping off the Bay Bridge in an attempt to avoid law enforcement over a car accident.
San Francisco-based news station KRON 4 reports the incident took place Thursday afternoon, when the California Highway Patrol received a call regarding a two-car crash that left one vehicle overturned on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
The driver, an unidentified white male between 20 and 30 years old, fled on foot once police arrived at the scene. As officers chased after him, the man ran toward the Bay Bridge, peering over the railing before plunging into the water below.
He started to swim away before the U.S. Coast Guard retrieved him. It's unclear what injuries the man may have from jumping into the water, though one Coast Guard officer claims he said he might have broken some bones.
After a successful rescue, the Coast Guard transferred the man to San Francisco Fire, which transported him to Yerba Buena Island, where an ambulance was waiting.
According to CHP spokesperson Mark Andrews, law enforcement is still investigating whether the man jumped because he being pursued by police.
"We don't know what the circumstances are that caused all that," Andrews told reporters. "It is definitely unusual.”
