Man plunges to his death from bridge after police see him drive on 3 wheels
A MAN who jumped from a bridge into a river after armed police tried to stop his van was last night missing, feared drowned.
Police launched a search for the unnamed man after he leapt from the Clackmannanshire Bridge, near Kincardine, Fife, early yesterday.
Moments earlier officers from the armed response unit had tried to stop the man’s blue Transit van from crossing the bridge after noticing it had only three wheels.
The officers tried to get the man’s attention as they made a U-turn on the three-quarters-ofa-mile long bridge and switching on their blue lights.
However, he continued to drive until he crashed into a barrier on the bridge.
He then climbed the safety barrier before jumping into the freezing, high-tide waters of the Firth of Forth as police tried to save him.
A search involving police and the Coastguard was immediately launched and the bridge remained closed last night.
The man has not been seen since the incident and it is feared he has drowned.
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: ‘A blue Transit van with just three wheels was seen by a Police Scotland armed response vehicle which was in the area, travelling in the opposite direction to the officers.’ The spokesman said that after attempts were made to signal to the driver to stop, the Transit ‘struck the barriers on the Clackmannanshire Bridge and the single male occupant exited’.
He added: ‘He then climbed over the bridge safety railings and entered the water below despite attempts by officers to save him.
‘Inquiries are ongoing alongside a number of partner agencies to trace the man who has not been seen since this time and anyone who can assist officers with their investigation is asked to come forward.’
Police said they were supporting the man’s family as they continued to search the river and surrounding area.
Coastguard teams and lifeboats searched the Forth until well after dark yesterday.
The search was stood down in the evening and the Coastguard will discuss with police this morning how to proceed.
A rescue helicopter from Prestwick, an RNLI lifeboat and three teams from the Coastguard’s Aberdeen division helped with the search.
A spokesman for the Coastguard said: ‘A thorough search was conducted, in tandem with police efforts. Nothing was found.’
Chief Inspector Irene Ralston, of Police Scotland, said: ‘At this time the main focus of this operation is to trace the man, who has not been seen since he went into the water, which was at high tide.
‘We are continuing to keep his family informed.
‘The incident happened as officers were in the very initial stages of attempting to make the driver aware of their presence and their concerns over the condition of his van. Anyone with information relevant to this incident is asked to contact police immediately.
‘We are also keen to hear from other motorists who may have been on the roadway around the Clackmannanshire Bridge just before 2.50am on Friday and who saw the blue Transit van.
‘If you believe you can assist us then please come forward.
‘In the meantime I would like to thank the public for their patience and co-operation while the bridge remains closed.’
The major route was closed to all traffic in both directions shortly after the incident.
Commuters travelling from the M876 towards Kincardine and West Fife suffered delays, while travellers heading towards Alloa in Clackmannanshire diverted via the Kincardine Bridge.
The neighbouring Kincardine Bridge was heavily congested due to the closure and the bad weather.
Traffic Scotland issued warnings advising motorists to take an alternative route.
Last night, police said control of the bridge had been passed on to contractors for maintenance and repair, adding that they could not say for how long the bridge would be closed.
If the man was to be found dead then Police Scotland would be likely to refer the case to the Police Investigations Review Commissioner, which would then investigate the circumstances of the death.
‘The water was
at high tide’