By JAY CRIDLIN and DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
Published September 16, 2004
TAMPA - Authorities now have a face and name to look for in their effort to solve the mystery of the missing driver, who vanished after a car crashed on the Sunshine Skyway bridge Tuesday morning.
Florida Highway Patrol officials said the parents of 25-year-old Christopher Henry of Bradenton reported him missing. Henry owns the 2002 Chrysler sedan that crashed. No driver was found in the vehicle.
Authorities think the driver was either picked up by a passing motorist or was thrown into the waters below.
"All arrows are pointing to him in the water," said FHP spokesman Trooper Larry Coggins, "but we can't speculate anything, and we can't rule anything out yet."
The crash occurred about 6:50 a.m. According to reports, the car was going north in the bridge's inside lane when it crossed over to the outside lane, went onto the paved shoulder and struck the outside wall. The car went airborne, turning counterclockwise, landed and rolled over and hit the inside concrete barrier wall.
No one was found in the car. The Coast Guard searched surrounding waters and came up empty.
Henry was arrested in 1996 on a charge of cocaine possession. In 1999, he was sentenced to four years in prison on a charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. He was released on Dec. 9, 2002.
