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Police: Search Continues For Man Who Crashed, Jumped Off Stratford Bridge

STRATFORD, Conn. — The search continues for a 26-year-old man from Florida who crashed his SUV on the Devon Bridge and then jumped into the Housatonic River in Stratford, police said Wednesday evening. 

Stratford police said a man crashed on the Devon Bridge and jumped into the river below just after midnight.

Stratford police said a man crashed on the Devon Bridge and jumped into the river below just after midnight.

Photo Credit: Facebook
Early reports that a body had been recovered were incorrect, and Stratford first responders continued to search for a missing man late Wednesday in the Housatonic River.

Early reports that a body had been recovered were incorrect, and Stratford first responders continued to search for a missing man late Wednesday in the Housatonic River.

Photo Credit: Google Maps

A statement from the Stratford Police Department called the case a "missing person/suicide."

An earlier report from an official with the Stratford Waterfront Harbor Management Commission saying a body had been found was not correct, according to the Connecticut Post. 

At 12:06 a.m. Wednesday, Tavares Harris crashed his SUV into the protective railing on the Devon Bridge, also known as the Washington Bridge, Stratford police Capt. Frank Eannotti said in a statement. 

Harris then got out of his car and jumped from the bridge into the waters of the Housatonic River, Eannotti said. 

Officers and firefighters from several towns initiated a search for Harris, he said. The search included marine units, aviation units as well as K-9 civilian volunteers and police and fire dive teams. 

The Housatonic River was searched throughout the day and night, but Harris could not be located, Eannotti said. 

The investigation was continuing as of Wednesday evening, he said. 

The drawbridge, also known as the Washington Bridge, is part of Route 1 and connects Stratford to the Devon section of Milford.

The U.S. Coast Guard provided assistance during the search, which was taken over by local first responders, according to the Post.

The Coast Guard said the work shifted from a search to recovery mode, according to the Post.

Click here to read the story at the Connecticut Post website. 

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