By Michael Hasch

Published: Wednesday, November 7, 2012, 10:12 p.m.
Updated: Thursday, November 8, 2012

A man led police on a car chase through the Strip District and several Downtown streets on Wednesday night, jumped into the Allegheny River and later died, according to police.

He was pulled from the river and paramedics performed CPR while taking him to Allegheny General Hospital in the North Side. Authorities did not release his name.

The man was suspected of being involved in a carjacking on Monday night near the intersection of 39th and Mintwood streets in Lawrenceville.

Pittsburgh police said the stolen car was spotted shortly before 8:30 p.m. in Bloomfield by undercover narcotics officers who followed it into the Strip District and tried to pull it over.

Police said the car was involved in a traffic accident near the intersection of 29th street and Liberty Avenue in the Strip. After the wreck, the car took off and the chase continued on Liberty Avenue into Downtown and around Market Square with speeds reaching 40 mph.

Police said the car was chased along Stanwix Street before it turned the wrong way onto Fort Duquesne Boulevard and collided with an oncoming vehicle.

The motorist got out of the car, jumped over a railing and fell several feet onto the roof of a construction trailer before falling onto the 10th Street Bypass.

City police Cmdr. Eric Holmes said the man got up, tossed a handgun away and began running along the riverwalk between the Roberto Clemente and Fort Duquesne bridges. Holmes said the man jumped into the river “in an attempt to elude police.”

Pittsburgh River Rescue recovered his body about an hour later.

Two men who were riding in the stolen car suffered minor injuries in the crash. They were detained for questioning after being treated at the hospital.

It is not known whether either of the men were suspects in the carjacking.

Michael Hasch is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at mhasch@tribweb.com or 412-320-7820.

1. Pirates notebook: Cutter a boon for Melancon
2. Pitt awaits NCAA Tournament fate after loss to Notre Dame in Big East baseball
3. Catholic priest scandal induces monsignor to resign post
4. Alaska sex affairs draw Army scrutiny
5. Kovacevic: Matt Cooke 1, Ottawa Senators 0
6. Pipeline project creates unease in Westmoreland County
7. Rankin teen charged in 16-year-old girl’s shooting death
8. Letang dazzles with dynamic play in Game 5 win
9. Saturday morning low temp tied record set in 1925
10. Pause to remember, celebrate veterans with cookout favorites
11. Steelers hope new blocking scheme kick-starts running game

There are currently no comments for this story.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.