OMAHA, Neb. - A man being pursued by police because he was driving a car linked to several burglaries jumped out of the moving vehicle and leaped off a bridge into the Missouri River and survived.
Police do not know the man’s identity, but they were sure he survived the long fall because he could be heard yelling insults at officers after hitting the water.
“I don’t know what words were used, but he was clearly taunting them,” said Sheriff Jeff Danker of Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
Sheriff’s deputies began the chase Friday before dawn in Iowa after spotting a car that was suspected of being used in several burglaries.
The pursuit continued into Omaha, where the man eventually drove onto the Veterans Memorial Bridge. He got out of his car and jumped from a railing.
“I would imagine during a pursuit the adrenaline is pumping,” Danker said. “Some people will do whatever it takes to get away from officers.”
Authorities used a helicopter and dogs to search near the bridge. A dog located the site where the man apparently got out of the river, but the trail went cold, Danker said.