Man jumps off state Route 21 bridge in Norton, sustains 'serious' injuries in fall

An unidentified man who jumped off the state Route 21 bridge in Norton on Saturday was taken to a local hospital after the incident with serious injuries.

Norton Fire Chief Mike Schultz said Saturday the man jumped after a Norton officer arrived at the scene.

The man jumped over the bridge railing, landing on state Route 585.

Norton Fire and EMS arrived around 11:43 a.m. to find the man still alive, and he was taken to Cleveland Clinic Akron General for treatment.

"They administered aid to him in route to Cleveland Clinic Akron General," Schultz said.

Schultz said the Norton police officer who arrived at the scene didn't have time to interact with the man who jumped.

"They were called there for a suspicious male, and when he arrived, almost immediately, the gentleman took off and jumped over the rail," Schultz said.

The fire chief estimated the drop at about 30 feet.

The scene is located on the far south side of the city.

Southwest Summit Communications dispatchers had been able to get an officer on the scene 40 seconds after the center received a call from a concerned individual, Schultz said.

"The dispatcher did an amazing job," he said. "Everything that could have been done was done and everybody was there in a timely fashion."

Further information about the man's condition was not immediately available.

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj or Facebook at www.facebook.com/alan.newsman.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Man jumps off SR 21 bridge in Norton, sustains 'serious' injuries