Police chase man into Schuylkill

Police and rescue workers called off a search at 8 p.m. yesterday for a man who jumped into the Schuylkill near Conshohocken as he tried to evade police after a crash on the expressway. Police did not see the man emerge from the river.

Five cars were involved in a minor accident on the eastbound side of the Schuylkill Expressway in Lower Merion around 2:30 p.m., police said. When troopers arrived, a man involved in the crash gave false identification, police said.

When police questioned him further, he fled, crossing the highway. He bounded over a concrete barrier and ran toward the river, state police said last night.

The trooper saw the man start to swim across the river, state police said.

Police also are looking for a woman who fled in a gold 2000 Saturn LS1 with Pennsylvania license plate GRB-6802. They seek Byanka Meacham, who they said was with the man before he jumped into the water. Police believe Meacham is in Philadelphia or Norristown.

Fire and rescue workers from Montgomery County used boats and divers to search for the man, police said.