A Missouri traffic stop turned into a dramatic police pursuit when a driver allegedly sped away from deputies, bailed out of his moving car and plunged headfirst from a bridge into the river below, newly released dashcam video shows.
Authorities say Gavin Thor Lundgren was behind the wheel of a Chevy Malibu last Saturday, traveling about 75 mph in a 45 mph zone, when Stone County Sheriff’s Office deputies activated their emergency lights and tried to pull him over.
Instead of stopping, Lundgren allegedly steered into a parking lot, circled around a building and then returned to the roadway, accelerating away as deputies gave chase, according to court filings.
The pursuit took a bizarre turn as the vehicles reached a bridge. Dashcam footage obtained by KTLA appears to show Lundgren abandoning the Chevy while it was still in drive, then launching himself headfirst over the side and into the water beneath, police said.
“Contact water patrol, he jumped over the bridge,” one deputy is heard saying in the recording as the chaotic scene unfolds.
Moments later, four officers move onto the bridge, with two looking down over the railing while the others approach Lundgren’s vehicle, which appeared to roll briefly before coming to a stop after he jumped out.
Deputies said no passengers were found inside the Chevy, though they reportedly discovered Lundgren’s driver’s license lying on the front passenger seat.
Local firefighters later joined sheriff’s deputies in a search boat as crews combed the water for the fleeing driver.
Officers eventually tracked Lundgren down on a nearby shoreline, but he refused to go quietly.
During a wild tussle on the ground, Lundgren headbutted officers, leaving three deputies with scrapes, lacerations, and facial injuries before he was finally restrained, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
He is charged with aggravated fleeing a stop and third-degree assault alongside two accounts of misdemeanor fourth-degree assault.
