Louisiana Man jumps off bridge over Lake Pontchartrain to avoid DUI

Metairie, LA -  A Louisiana man jumped off a Causeway bridge spanning Lake Pontchartrain to avoid a DUI early Sunday evening. 

Causeway police pulled over Thomas Robert Harter, about halfway through the bridge, after another driver reported that he was speeding and swerving, according to NOLA.com.

Causeway General Manager, Carlton Dufrechou said that Harter got out of his car and began waving his hand before he the officer asked him too. Harter then got back into his vehicle and exited again with a handful of papers, the officer noted that he smelled of alcohol and was wearing a St. Patrick’s Day necklace.

The officer then asked Harter to do a field sobriety test and he agreed to. At first Harter began the test and then unexpectedly bolted toward the bridge and jumped over. An officer managed to grab him but couldn’t hold on.

Hiring an accomplished drunk driving lawyer is a much better alternative to a DUI than potentially plunging to your death.

Harter fell 20 ft. into Lake Pontchartrain below, where he disappeared in the water. Police closed the bridge as they searched for him. Harter grabbed onto a utility building at the base of the bridge where he was found by rescue workers.

Once out of the lake, Harter was arrested and charged with DUI. This was his third DUI offense in the past ten years, even though he had ones previous to that. He was also charged with evading arrest and has other outstanding warrants.

Multiple DUI offenders definitely need to hire drunk driving lawyers to represent them in court. There is the chance that a drunk driving lawyer can be instrumental in preventing very harsh penalties.