Two men in a stolen vehicle were detained by authorities Tuesday after a pursuit which concluded on the James River Bridge, causing major traffic delays and damaging other motorists’ vehicles.
A stolen vehicle’s license plate was flagged by a Flock Safety camera, Master Deputy Alecia Paul of the Isle of Wight’s Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post, following a separate pursuit earlier Tuesday in Suffolk. The men inside the stolen vehicle set off the pursuit that ended over the James River by evading a sheriff’s deputy’s traffic stop in Carrollton.
The vehicle was chased northbound onto the James River Bridge, which was in the middle of a lift, forcing the vehicle to stop. The drivers then turned around and drove the wrong way — going southbound in the northbound lanes — and struck three other vehicles before becoming inoperable, the sheriff’s office said.
The driver of the stolen vehicle then fled on foot and hid around other vehicles stranded on the bridge, Paul said.
He was apprehended by sheriff’s deputies after jumping onto the bed of an occupied pickup truck.
The sheriff’s office said the other man was in custody and both were being questioned. They have yet to be charged.
As of 2 p.m. the bridge’s northbound lanes had been reopened, Paul said.
“It was pretty exceptional that no one at all got hurt,” Paul said. “Vehicle pursuits are pretty dangerous. We’re happy to get these guys off the streets.”
She added that the men had been recognized by Newport News police Monday night on the Peninsula in the same stolen vehicle.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Aftermath of a stolen vehicle evading the authorities, according to the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office. (Courtesy of Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office)
