Virginia State Police identified one of the two suspects who attempted to swim away from police after fleeing a crashed vehicle Wednesday. The two were attempting to avoid a traffic stop in Arlington but were later taken into custody.
Bryant R. Mayo, 26, of D.C., was charged with one felony count of eluding law enforcement and one felony charge of leaving the scene of a crash.
In the predawn hours on Wednesday morning, a Virginia trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop involving a two-door Chrysler that had the wrong license plates. Instead of stopping the car sped off.
While in pursuit for nearly an hour, the car struck a police cruiser, causing both vehicles to spin out. The passengers in the Chrysler then fled the scene on foot and hid near Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary along the Potomac River.
Around 2 a.m., the passengers, identified as Mayo and a 23-year-old woman, jumped into the water and began swimming across Roaches Run toward the George Washington Parkway. U.S. Park Police aided state police in rescuing the two.
Mayo and the other escapee were both transported to a nearby hospital for treatment due to their exposure to the cold water temperatures.
The investigation is ongoing, and it is not known at this time if the woman will be identified or charged in this case.
