news.stv.tv/east-central/1332510-search-for-driver-who-leapt-off-bridge-after-police-tried-to-stop-van/
The search is continuing for a man who leapt from the Clackmannanshire Bridge after police tried to stop his van.
Officers spotted the blue Transit van driving across the bridge on three wheels shortly before 3am on Friday morning.
They pursued the vehicle with blue lights on and shortly afterwards the van crashed into a barrier and driver got out.
The man then climbed over the safety railings and leapt off the bridge, plunging into the Firth of Forth.
The Clackmannanshire Bridge was closed following the incident and is expected to remain closed for the forseeable future.
Motorists travelling from the M876 towards Kincardine and West Fife suffered delays on Friday morning due to the bridge closure.
Commuters heading towards Alloa were diverted via the Kincardine Bridge.
Police Scotland chief Inspector Irene Ralston said: "The main focus of this operation is to trace the man, who has not been seen since he went into the water, which was at high tide.
"The incident happened as officers were in the very initial stages of attempting to make the driver aware of their presence and their concerns over the condition of his van.
"Anyone with information relevant to this incident is asked to contact police immediately on 101.
"We are also keen to hear from other motorists who may have been on the roadway around the Clackmannanshire Bridge just before 2.50am on Friday morning and saw the van.
"If you believe you can assist us then please come forward. In the meantime I would like to thank the public for their patience and co-operation while the bridge remains closed."
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Why can't the police just recover the van and open the bridge, an hour closure at most? The driver is in the river, that might be a good place to look for his body from a boat.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Fri 13 Nov 15 at 21:48
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Why? No doubt there will have been a build up to this and because the vehicle was being followed by the Police it will be treated as a 'death in custody' and it will be treated as a crime scene. The IPCC (if they have juristiction in Scotland) will be all over it like a rash trying to find some poor Copper to blame.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Fri 13 Nov 15 at 22:31
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Seems pointless and tiresome to close the bridge when everyone knows the geezer is in the river, probably well downstream, perhaps dead.
Typical fuzz behaviour though.
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Seems it re-opened just after 21:00 www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-34814845
I think the "fuzz" have to do it as if it turned out to be something other than what appears to be the obvious then they have to be seen to have properly investigated etc. Otherwise the general public (you and me, or others on our behalf, would say they weren't doing their job properly.
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Yes, suppose so. Better safe tha sorry.
Ungracious to call it 'typical' in that sour way. But can't help remembering numerous endless delays without decent explanation or any apparent reason.
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I think the key word there is 'apparent'.
We don't know the facts leading up to this, we don't know the persons history or what was found in the van.
We don't need to know at this stage.
We're quick to criticise if the police don't do their job properly and never praise them when they do.
Instead we question the way they do their job.
I often wonder why they do their job because there's not a lot of satisfaction in it these days for them.
Pat
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>> I think the key word there is 'apparent'.
>>
>> We don't know the facts leading up to this, we don't know the persons history
>> or what was found in the van.
>>
>> We don't need to know at this stage.
None if that however takes 14 hours to find out.
>> We're quick to criticise if the police don't do their job properly and never praise
>> them when they do.
>>
>> Instead we question the way they do their job.
Which you do often when they target Lorry Drivers.
In truth one should be wondering if this is because the police are starved of resources, and if this is the case CC's should be making more noise about it. I wonder how much money a Police Commissioner costs? we could save money there.
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Cheaper than a Police Authority...but the bottom line shouldn't be the money
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>> None if that however takes 14 hours to find out.
We only have a media report to go on and it may not be a complete or even an accurate account.
Whatever happened occurred in the small hours of the morning.
Investigations into something like this will need specialists some of whom who are off shift. Civvies may have to be called from their beds, perhaps collecting equipment en route, or won't arrive until after their working day begins at 09:00. Experts could need to finish other jobs, which may not be in Edinburgh or even the Central Belt, first. Daylight might help too.
Since this is Scotland Police and Crime Commissioners are a bit of a red herring. However the tribulations of merging Scotland's regional forces into a national service have been well aired even south of the border. Aside from the usual 'death in custody' issues they will have to avoid any suggestion that the reorganisation may have rendered the investigation less effective.
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>> Whatever happened occurred in the small hours of the morning.
>>
>> Investigations into something like this will need specialists some of whom who are off shift.
>> Civvies may have to be called from their beds, perhaps collecting equipment en route, or
>> won't arrive until after their working day begins at 09:00. Experts could need to finish
>> other jobs, which may not be in Edinburgh or even the Central Belt, first. Daylight
>> might help too.
None of that is in the tinniest bit an excuse. If a terrorist suddenly starts shooting crap around you suggesting we say "sorry can't respond till the next shift starts"
14 hours is by any measure at any time unacceptable
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>> If a terrorist suddenly starts
>> shooting crap around you suggesting we say "sorry can't respond till the next shift starts"
You're mixing bananas with elephants. What happened on the Forth was a possible suicide with elements of RTA and a custody incident. No relation whatever to the handling of a terror incident.
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>> You're mixing bananas with elephants.
No more than you are getting excuses mixed up with valid reasons.
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"Commuters heading towards Alloa were diverted via the Kincardine Bridge."
From the whingeing I thought the diversion took drivers miles and miles out of their way until I looked at a map.
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Just another take on the situation. Man dumps vehicle on bridge and jumps off bridge when spotted by Police. Why? Mental health issues? What has happened before that is not known. They could have committed a murder which at that point is undiscovered. Clearly the person is not thinking straight or is in a highly emotional state. If they have committed a serious crime you have another scene which is all part of the main scene. You just don't know and have to think of the worse case scenario.
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>> Just another take on the situation. Man dumps vehicle on bridge and jumps off bridge
>> when spotted by Police. Why? Mental health issues? What has happened before that is not
>> known. They could have committed a murder which at that point is undiscovered. Clearly the
>> person is not thinking straight or is in a highly emotional state. If they have
>> committed a serious crime you have another scene which is all part of the main
>> scene. You just don't know and have to think of the worse case scenario.
you dont need to close a major bridge for 14 hours to check if the bloke had mental health issues.
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>> you dont need to close a major bridge for 14 hours to check if the
>> bloke had mental health issues.
>>
Don't forget there is only one Police force in Scotland now. Maybe the bloke they were waiting for was on a call in Kirkwall.
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"You dont need to close a major bridge for 14 hours to check if the bloke had mental health issues."
Only if they leave their name, address and medical history in a suitably marked envelope.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Sat 14 Nov 15 at 19:10
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well peering over the side of the bridge at his long gone ripples wont tell you any more than the social services will. I bet you his identity was known looooong before the 14 hours was up.
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They do it for fun, and to get overtime. To get punters moaning "We pay your wages" - they do it deliberately to wind people up. Honest. My wife would tell you that only no such thing as overtime any more.
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dont be fatuous
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 14 Nov 15 at 19:19
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The words pot kettle and black are coming to mind.
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>> The words pot kettle and black are coming to mind.
your cooking skills are crap too.
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Named as Dean Wood, aged 21, who lived locally to the bridge.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-34823239
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And the bridge has been closed since..... - Old Navy
