NORTH CAROLINA — A man is in custody after authorities say he jumped nearly 60 feet from the Thomas Rhodes Bridge into the Cape Fear River early Sunday morning in an attempt to avoid arrest.
According to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began around 2 a.m. when the man drove the wrong way on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and collided with another vehicle. After the crash, officials said he got out of his car and ran.
Deputies located him on the Thomas Rhodes Bridge and were preparing to take him into custody when he leapt into the river. The Wilmington Fire Department deployed a boat to search the area and eventually found the man on an island. He was arrested with the help of deputies and officers on the boat.
Authorities said he suffered only minor injuries from the fall. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation before being released and booked into the New Hanover County Detention Center.
The sheriff’s office has not yet released his name or the charges he faces.
