A driver fled after Seattle Police officers spotted him in a stolen car; he rammed through gate arms at the University Bridge and jumped the gap as the drawbridge was still being lowered.
By Caitlyn Freeman. The Seattle Times
SEATTLE — Seattle police released new dashcam footage on Monday showing how the driver of a stolen Audi Q5 evaded police by jumping the open University Bridge last week.
The driver is still at large as of Monday afternoon.
Police came across the stolen Audi Q5 on Wednesday near 10th Avenue East and East Boston Street around 12:20 p.m. , and began pursuing the vehicle, according to a Monday blotter post. Newly released dashcam footage shows officers trailing the car through residential streets before losing the driver.
Police spotted the driver stopped near the University Bridge as traffic waited for the double-leaf bascule bridge spans to close. Once the driver spotted officers, they drove to the wrong side of the road and accelerated before ramming into the gate arms.
The vehicle then became airborne and cleared the nearly, but not entirely, lowered bridge spans.
He actually made the jump over the bridge, an officer is heard saying in the video.
Pursuing officers came to a halt and did not try to repeat the jump.
“It’s not the movies,” spokesperson Detective Brian Pritchard previously said. “We’d never do anything like that.”
The driver abandoned the stolen car near Pasadena Place Northeast and Northeast 42nd Street in the University District . The Audi sustained damage to its undercarriage.
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