Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Man Flees Traffic Stop, Jumps Off GW Bridge, Disappears
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 20, 2009
Modified Nov 20, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 20, 2009
Modified Nov 20, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
[UPDATE BELOW] Life is so unpredictable: One minute you're pulling out of a New Jersey gas station, the next minute you're diving off the George Washington Bridge to escape police after a high-speed chase. An unidentified man presumably fell to his death yesterday morning after trying to escape from cops who pulled him over for a "routine stop" while driving his 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix through Fort Lee. Police say the man was pulled over around 9:30 a.m. for failing to yield, and the vehicle "had law enforcement equipment inside." But within minutes he sped away toward the bridge, with the fuzz in hot pursuit.
Most people would give up after coming to a crashing halt on the upper level of the GW, but after slamming into another car, the fugitive dashed to the edge of the bridge and leaped into the Hudson. As of last night, his body had not been found, but as one jumper demonstrated earlier this month, it is possible to survive the plunge.
UPDATE: Website CLIFFVIEWPILOT.COM, your "first and best news source for Bergen, Hudson and beyond," scored "ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE" today, getting a quote from the driver whose car was clipped by the fugitive. Motorist Andy Rosenberg says the guy "just hopped out of his car and made a beeline. He never even paused. He got over that little guardrail, put his foot on the railing [for the bridge] and jumped. It happened so fast, the police had no chance to get to him." CLIFFVIEWPILOT.COM also reports that the man is a New York state corrections officer from Middletown, N.Y. who had argued with his wife earlier that morning. (Which might explain why he didn't hesitate to jump off the bridge.)
Tagged
fort lee
George Washington Bridge
jump
Jumper
new jersey
nyc
pontiac
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Medicaid is changing. We want to hear from NYers about what's ahead.
Upcoming changes could push hundreds of thousands onto the rolls of the uninsured.
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Nov 3, 2026 at 11:07 a.m. ET
A typo. A missing screw. These are the small snags keeping NYC families in shelters.
The Mamdani administration says it’s speeding up the city’s rental assistance program. But advocates say a maze of inspections, paperwork and delays is still keeping families in shelters.
By
Karen Yi
News
A typo. A missing screw. These are the small snags keeping NYC families in shelters.
The Mamdani administration says it’s speeding up the city’s rental assistance program. But advocates say a maze of inspections, paperwork and delays is still keeping families in shelters.
By
Karen Yi
Early Addition: Why Sweetgreen is pivoting to wraps
By
James Ramsay
Ballot problems in Westchester: Lawler v. Conley race results could be delayed
By
Ben Feuerherd
How to spend $20M in East Williamsburg? A discussion begins.
By
Willow Higgins
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .