Drug suspect bolts La. court, crashes car

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NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- An alleged Louisiana drug dealer will face a new raft of charges following his bold but unsuccessful flight from a St. Bernard Parish courtroom, officials said.

Cyprian Robertson, 37, Chalmette, broke his leg when ran from the courthouse and fled in his car, but wound up crashing into another vehicle on a bridge in nearby New Orleans

"I couldn't go back to jail," Robertson told sheriff's deputies after they arrested him not far from his wrecked car, which caught fire on impact.

Sheriff James Pohlmann told The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune Robertson would be booked into jail on charges of reckless driving and aggravated flight once he was released from the hospital. Those charges will go along with the drug possession charges that would fetch him at least seven years in prison.

Robertson has two previous drug convictions and also faces a pile of traffic violations in New Orleans, the Times-Picayune said. He had been free on bond while facing the drug charges in St. Bernard Parish.