A police pursuit across eastbound Interstate 70 on Thursday took a dramatic turn when the driver ditched a disabled car on the Blanchette Memorial Bridge, climbed over the railing and went into the Missouri River as officers and rescue crews rushed in behind.
The chase began after the Gateway Regional Interdiction Task Force tried to pull the vehicle over near First Capitol Drive and Pralle Lane. Instead of stopping, the driver sped onto I-70, where officers deployed spike strips several times, police said. The tires were hit often enough to leave the car riding on three flats and eventually disabled on the bridge. The driver then bolted from the vehicle, ran toward the side of the span and went over the railing into the river, according to FOX2.
Missouri State Water Patrol units took the lead on the river search while St. Charles County fire crews launched a boat and put a drone in the air. Despite the multi-agency response, authorities said they had not yet located the person in the water by the time of the latest update.
Bridge Has History Of River Rescues
The Blanchette Memorial Bridge is no stranger to intense river responses. City of St. Charles departmental records detail earlier calls in the same area, including situations where crews launched boats and coordinated with other agencies after someone was reported on or near the railing of the bridge over the Missouri River. Those reports outline how local fire and rescue teams stage and work together during incidents in this stretch of water. For previous cases, see the documents from the City of St. Charles.
Vehicle And Investigation
The car at the center of Thursday’s pursuit had been reported stolen out of St. Louis County several days earlier, according to FOX2. While Missouri State Water Patrol units continued scanning the river, investigators from the Gateway task force and St. Charles County police processed the disabled vehicle on the bridge.
Authorities had not publicly identified the suspect or confirmed the person’s condition at the time of reporting. The search remained active into the afternoon as agencies coordinated both on the water and at the crash scene, and officials had not yet announced any arrests or charges.
