Man jumps 50 feet as police close in

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A motorcyclist pursued by police and cornered in a downtown parking structure Wednesday leaped from the third level suffering serious injuries when he hit the sidewalk.

Albuquerque police have not released the man's identity or the extent of his injuries.

The episode began when a police officer pulled the biker over near Central Avenue and Coors Boulevard because the motorcycle lacked a license plate. But the motorcyclist took off and since it was a minor offense, the officer didn't chase him.

However the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department helicopter tracked him from the air watching him fly down the interstate at speeds reportedly reaching 140 mph.

The biker got gas in Belen and then hightailed it back to Albuquerque. He ended up in the parking garage of the Albuquerque Convention Center where he got off the bike.

When police officers approached him, he stepped over a barrier and jumped hitting the sidewalk about 50 feet below.

Police described him as badly hurt.

It's not known what prompted him to flee in the first place.