(RNN) – There are better ways to get out of a day in court.
Facing charges for violating the terms of a court mandated drug treatment program, 35-year-old Christopher Clay Rudd bolted from a court room in Spanish Fort, UT, about 50 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Rudd was restrained with handcuffs and a waist chain, but his feet were free.
Courthouse video shows him tumbling over a second-floor balcony and crashing to the floor 15-20 feet below. An officer tried to catch him, but couldn’t catch him in time.
Rudd broke his leg, pelvis and fractured his skull.
Authorities say it's not clear if he was attempting to escape and accidentally went over the balcony or was trying to hurt himself.
“It almost looks like he purposely dove right over the railing,” Spanish Fork police Lt. Matt Johnson told The Salt Lake Tribune.
Rudd could face more charges from the incident.
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