Posted on 12/04/2006 10:27:33 AM PST by COBOL2Java
OCCOQUAN, Va. -- Authorities said a Woodbridge boy has drowned after escaping from a police cruiser parked on a bridge.
Police said the boy leaped over a concrete barrier and into the Occoquan River early Saturday morning.
Virginia State Police Sergeant Terry Licklider said it's unclear why 16-year-old Rodger Rodriguez jumped off Interstate 95 and into the river about 60 feet below.
He said authorities don't know if Rodriguez was just trying to escape and didn't realize what he was trying to jump over.
The boy's mother, Gloria Elena Rodriguez, told The Washington Post her son was familiar with the area along the highway.
Rodriguez was pulled over about 3:20 a.m. for speeding and was arrested for drunken driving and driving without a license.
At the time he escaped, Rodriguez was sitting in the front passenger seat of the cruiser with his hands handcuffed behind his back
Gloria Rodriguez said her son would never have intentially jumped into the water. She said she doesn't know what she will do now without her only son.
The teenager's mother and stepfather are asking authorities to investigate exactly what happened.
Virginia State Police say they will have a routine internal investigation, but also say it appears the trooper involved followed procedure.
At least he offed himself without taking anyone with him.
why was his car pulled over on the bridge? wouldn't that be unsafe, against the officer's training?
if not, then why was the police car parked on the bridge?
something isn't what the reporter wrote.
Aw, geez.
It's a very big bridge. He was pulled over on I-95, which as I recall is eight lanes at that point.
A jump from a sixty foot bridge to the ground below would kill most people, but this kid jumped into water with his hands cuffed behind his back. That's why I think he deserves the Darwin Award. LOL
The really sad thing is that mom is going to sue the police department for leaving him in the front seat where he could escape, and she will probably win. The ambulance chasers (lawyers) have probably already contacted her. The officer will probably lose his job for not following procedure.
I assume your theory is that the cops just cuffed him and threw him over the side, SG.
oh. anyway, this kid wasn't about to win any awards for intelligence anyway.
BTW.......
She, the mohter, supplied the beer.
I'm with you, brother...
Or, as my husband says "The inmates are guarding the henhouse."
Throw her ass in jail also, and when she serves her time for assisting a suicide, or even aiding and abeting, throw her off the damn bridge.
Good riddance to (illegal) scum!
Raul Jose Rodriguez jumped off the talahache bridge.
I read the Wash. Post story on Sunday, and, under certain circumstances (which I forget, but I'm sure can be looked up at the Post site rather quickly)putting the perp in the front seat WAS proper procedure. I think the story said that determining if this was one of those circumstances would be part of the investigation.
I don't think this is the solution to the illegal immigration problem.
While I agree with the sentiment of a child being a gift from God, from everything I've read and heard this kid was no peach, and obviously learned much of his behavior/attitude from the "grieving" mother....who is accusing the Virginia State Police of murder.
We've got enough damn drunks on the roads--we don't need to be importing any!
Gifts to whom? It is sad, horrific, terrible, etc. but there are PLENTY of parents who see their kids as little more than accidental cockroaches, and who rejoice at things like this, because they've just won the judicial lottery and now I have to give them my money. (I live in VA) I don't KNOW that this woman is one of those described above, but the details of the story are certainly not promising.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.