(WWJ) A young man from Ohio has been arrested and charged with a felony after allegedly sharing photos of himself atop the Mackinac Bridge.
Isaac Kendall Wright, 25, of Cincinnati, was arraigned Thursday in 89th District Court in Cheboygan County, Michigan, on a charge of Felony Trespass Upon a Key Transportation Facility for a trespassing on the bridge on Nov. 5, 2020.
According to the Michigan State Police (MSP) St. Ignace Post, an investigation began when photographs taken from the top of the south tower of the Mackinac Bridge surfaced on social media platforms. Upon learning of the photos, Mackinac Bridge Authority personnel reviewed an incident in which an alarm was activated on the bridge. A check of the surveillance video revealed evidence of the crime.
"This is not a harmless stunt; it's inexcusably reckless," said Mackinac Bridge Authority Executive Secretary Kim Nowack, at the time. "This individual risked not only his own life but also the lives of those crossing the bridge beneath him, and would have threatened the safety of emergency personnel and Mackinac Bridge Authority staff had a rescue been needed."
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MSP said investigators soon discovered that multiple other law enforcement agencies from around the country were investigating similar crimes believed to be committed by the same person. Detectives from multiple states began to work together, and eventually were able to effect Wright’s arrest in Winona, Arizona. He was extradited to Cincinnati, Ohio to face other criminal charges, before being arraigned via video on the Michigan charge.
Wright — who is known as "Drift" by fans on Twitter, Instagram and other platforms — has shared photos snapped in many famous, and at times precarious, places. One in a series of since-deleted images tweeted by @DrifterShoots on Nov. 26 of last year showed a man climbing a bridge that looked suspiciously like the Mighty Mac.
Tweets that followed appear to confirm that suspicion.
"Is that the Mackinac Bridge?" a follower asked, to which "Drift" replied, "It is my friend."
"Is there a major bridge in the states that you haven't been to the top of?" the follower responded. Drift answered: "Plenty. But maybe one day I’ll top them all."
Wright remained lodged in the Hamilton County Jail in Ohio on Friday. His preliminary exam on the Michigan charge is scheduled for March 5.
He faces up to four years in prison and a $2,500 fine if convicted.
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