The Associated Press
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) - A police pursuit early Wednesday ended with four officers pulling a distraught driver off the edge of the James River Bridge.
The drama started a little past midnight Tuesday, when Patrol Officer Robert Maine noticed a Ford Tempo with a license plate that matched an Oldsmobile. As Maine got behind the car, the driver speeded up and ran a stop sign and a red light.
Maine tried to stop the driver, but the man kept going, heading to the bridge at about 45 to 55 mph.
Three other officers heard about the chase on their police radios and responded.
As the driver reached the rise of the bridge, smoke started coming from the vehicle and the car began to slow down.
“At that point, you could see the driver opening the door,” Officer Jeffrey Hollandsworth said. “He slowed down to 10 miles per hour and he bailed.”
The man started running, jumped across the median and headed for the edge of the bridge. Office Shawn Wood gave chase.
“He stopped, looked at us, and tried to hop over the bridge,” Wood said. Wood grabbed the man’s left arm while Maine grabbed the right as his legs dangled over the side.
Hollingsworth and Sgt. Mark Webb helped the other officers pull the man to safety.
A passenger in the car had been able to grab the steering wheel after the driver jumped out, police said.
Goldie Leroyne Clinton, 27, of Newport News, was charged with possession of crack cocaine, reckless driving, a felony count of evading and eluding police, driving with a suspended license and the improper use of state license plates. He was jailed in Newport News.