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May 2, 2007 7:57 am US/Eastern
Wild Chase: NJ-GWB-Tappan Zee Ends With River Jump
Driver Jumps Into Hudson River, But Was Rescued
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (CBS/AP) ―
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The driver reportedly jumped from the Tappan Zee Bridge after a wild chase and had to be rescued. (File)
A driver fleeing police in a tractor-trailer cab jumped off a bridge after leading authorities on a chase that spanned parts of two states, police said.
Authorities rescued the man from the water beneath the Tappan Zee Bridge and took him to Westchester Medical Center, where his condition was not available early Wednesday. His name was not released.
The chase began when the driver failed to stop for a routine truck inspection Tuesday night in Parsippany, N.J., said New Jersey State Police Sgt. Alex Pabon.
"We don't know why," Pabon said.
After New Jersey police followed the truck to the George Washington Bridge, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police took over the pursuit, Pabon said.
New York City police joined in as the driver made his way through city streets and local highways in the Bronx and Westchester County before coming to a stop on the Tappan Zee Bridge, authorities said.
He jumped at about 9:45 p.m., said Tarrytown Police Sgt. John Gardner.
Although the man was moaning and losing consciousness as rescuers approached, he was reluctant to be rescued, said Sleepy Hollow Fire Chief John Korzelius.
"Let us come up and save you," rescuers told him, according to Korzelius.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
