Florida man fleeing from deputies jumps off bridge into river in unsuccessful escape attempt
FORT MYERS, Fla. - A suspect fleeing a traffic stop dove off a bridge and into a river in an attempt to get away from Florida deputies.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office said deputies were trying to pull over a stolen van on Saturday evening in Fort Myers, but the driver -- later identified as 34-year-old Bryan Gray -- instead sped off.
The sheriff's office aviation unit arrived on the scene and followed the van from above, capturing video as the vehicle crashed into a barrier at the top of the Edison Bridge.
That's when the sheriff's office said Gray got out of the van, jumped over the safety barrier, and dove off of the bridge and into the Caloosahatchee River below in his effort to elude deputies.
While the aviation unit kept an eye on the suspect in the water, the sheriff's office marine unit was deployed and pulled Gray from the river. He was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
"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.