A man who’s missing in the Mississippi River has been identified. His friends say his name is Matt Haessler. They have been watching the river since the 32-year-old Davenport man jumped or fell from the I-74 Bridge Saturday night.
Bettendorf police say he was driving a stolen car. He led them on a chase into Moline before turning back toward Bettendorf. Police used stop sticks on the bridge to blow out the car’s tires. It slowed and crashed. A passenger was taken into custody, but police say the driver climbed over a bridge railing onto the bridge structure. Then he ended up in the water and disappeared. Search efforts have turned up nothing.
By Phil Roberts, Davenport