Driver Tries to Jump Off Bridge During Police Chase, Leaves Behind His Prosthetic Leg

Illustration - Shutterstock

While many criminals might think they can outsmart the police, it seems fair to say that if they were really intelligent, they wouldn’t be breaking the law in the first place. An incredible police chase that recently took place in Indianapolis, Indiana, showed, quite literally, that criminals stand to lose life and limb while fleeing from justice.

When a police car was almost hit by an SUV that was barreling through traffic, officers started a pursuit to stop the dangerous vehicle and apprehend the driver. The driver meanwhile led them on a wild chase at top speed. Believing he could escape the police by heading across a construction zone, the driver drove right past signs informing motorists that the bridge was under construction.

The stunt didn’t go so well when the vehicle ran into a section of the bridge that was missing! The driver now needed to escape on foot, but had one big problem. He'd left his prosthetic leg back in the vehicle.

As a resident of the neighborhood next to the bridge described the incident to WISH in Indianapolis, he and his friends “were sitting in the front room and heard gunshots.” The deadly sounds were followed by “all kinds of sirens,” as the police pursuit came right after.

The police knew that the bridge the suspect was heading toward was only halfway rebuilt, so they wisely pulled off as the dangerous driver charged right through the barricades. That’s when residents heard “a loud bang.” Once the car crashed, the residents right by the bridge saw a strange sight.

The suspect, who managed to escape the SUV, was seen “crawling on his hands and knees” down the bridge and through the yard and over to a fence by the treeline. When the resident nearing the bridge was shown the picture of the suspect’s missing prosthetic leg, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

When police finally got to the abandoned vehicle, they found the passenger, who was an accomplice of the crazed driver. He had been in trouble with the law himself, breaking off the ankle bracelet monitor that had been put on him because of his misdeeds.

Amazingly, despite his missing leg, the driver managed to escape into the forest. While residents saw him getting away, they were worried that he might be armed and dangerous. The police are confident they'll be able to apprehend him soon, seeing as he’s barely got a leg to stand on.

Meanwhile, people who heard the news couldn’t help making comparisons to the famous episode 56 of the Dukes of Hazzard, where the Duke brothers jump over a bridge in their Dodge Charger. Except, of course, this one didn’t quite turn out the way the driver might have hoped.

Strangely enough, the leg the driver left behind might not only slow him down but also lead to his capture. Most prosthetics are numbered and recorded, which could help police identify who the suspect might be. Sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction!