JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Officers have suspended the search for a driver who jumped off the Mathews Bridge late Tuesday night after a crash, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, two SUVs -- a Ford Explorer and a Chevy Captiva -- were heading westbound, just before 10 p.m. when the driver of the Explorer switched lanes and for unknown reasons, lost control of his SUV.
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The Explorer struck the center median barrier, then struck the wall of the bridge and spun out.
That SUV, then rear-ended the Captiva, driven by 54-year-old Roberta Bruhn from South Dakota. Bruhn had four other passengers in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
"After the crash, one of the drivers exited the [Ford Explorer] and appeared to jump off the side of the bridge," said JSO Officer Lance Williams.
Florida Fish and Wildlife, FHP, and JSO began searching for the driver along the St. Johns River.
JSO's dive team searched the St. Johns River for nearly seven hours before suspending the search, around 5:15 a.m., and said searching for the missing driver is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
FHP said the man who jumped off the bridge was not the owner of the SUV. JSO has spoken to the owner and has an idea of who the missing man is, but troopers have not released his name. He is presumed dead in the water.
No other injuries were reported as a result of the crash.
All westbound lanes and one eastbound lane of the Mathews Bridge were closed during the search and investigation and reopened hours later.
Although the dive team's search for the missing driver is suspended, JSO said it may send a helicopter later Wednesday to assist in the search.