Suspect Being Chased by Police Leaps From Golden Gate Bridge

A suspected sex offender led police on a dramatic car chase across the Golden Gate Bridge on Wednesday before abandoning his vehicle and leaping from the famous span, apparently to his death, officials said.

The suspect, Brian Alexander Ward, a 39-year-old gardener, was under surveillance by police when he arrived at a work site in Marin County north of San Francisco on Wednesday morning, Sausalito Police Chief Steve Willis said.

Police said Ward had been accused of molesting his employer’s 4-year-old son and was the subject of an arrest warrant with $1-million bail.

“He came back to the victim’s family’s home and saw us,” Willis said. “That’s when he took off.”

The suspect led police on a high-speed chase toward San Francisco and was about halfway across the Golden Gate Bridge when he suddenly swerved into oncoming traffic, abandoned his car, climbed over a retaining barrier and jumped, Willis said.

Police originally thought that Ward might have eluded capture by hiding in the catwalk underneath the bridge. But after a search of the area and a witness’ videotape of the incident, they concluded that he had plunged 220 feet to his death.

“It would be very unusual for someone to survive the jump,” Willis said.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Christian Allaire said vessels scoured the waters below the bridge for several hours before deciding to call off the search for Ward.

“The possibility of the person surviving the initial incident is very, very slim,” Allaire said. “A large percentage of people when they drown sink right to the bottom. If he was on the surface, we would have found him. Most likely he sank.”

The incident tied up traffic for hours on the bridge.

The orange suspension bridge is one of the world’s most popular suicide sites. More than 1,200 people have jumped to their deaths since it opened in 1937.