A police chase in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area Tuesday night ended with the suspect running off the interstate and down a 200-foot embankment, according to authorities.
Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller told Fox 10 that the man, in his 20s, was rescued from the river bottom near Interstate 10 and the Salt River. Keller said crews performed a steep-angle rescue and had to scale two 100-foot cliffs to reach the driver.
When rescuers reached the bottom of the embankment, the man was out of the car. Keller said they’re not sure if the man was kicked out or if he crawled out at some point.
Keller said the man was “very lucky” as he was taken to the hospital only complaining of rib pain.
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Crew members from the Phoenix Fire Department rappel down two 100-foot cliffs to attend to a suspect in a police chase.
(Phoenix Fire Department)
“Two hundred feet of depth is substantial,” Keller said. “This is a high-risk rescue for our low-frequency members.”
A second person in the car was detained on the embankment, according to Fox 10.
The outlet reported that the accident began when Tempe police tried to pull over the driver near 40th Street and University Drive while investigating an occupied stolen car.
The driver refused to stop and struck one of the police cars while fleeing the scene, resulting in a brief chase, which eventually ended due to the suspect “driving at high speed with erratic behavior.”
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Later, officers patrolling the area saw the suspect’s car over the embankment and called rescue teams.
The timeline between the end of the chase and the suspect driving off the cliff was not disclosed.
There were no reports of injuries to any of the first responders involved in the chase and rescue.
The Phoenix Fire Department opens a chain link fence before descending two 100-foot cliffs to rescue a suspect in a police chase.
(Phoenix Fire Department)
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Tempe police, Phoenix police and US Marshals were at the scene, according to Keller.
This is a developing story.
