Potts was being pursued by the St. Ann police and the Missouri State Highway Patrol when he crashed his car on the Blanchette Bridge westbound on Interstate 70 in Florissant, Missouri at 2:30 a.m. on October 29, 2006. Potts was driving a friend's gray Ford Contour at the time. He was driving because he thought his friend was too drunk to drive. After crashing, he exited the vehicle, ran, and jumped over the bridge rail. On November 5, searchers did a water and land search, dragging the river near Blanchette Bridge, but they didn't find anything of interest. His friends stated Potts is a good swimmer. Potts's mother was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time of his disappearance and said he regularly checked on her and it’s uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning. Nevertheless, some of his loved ones believe he left on his own accord to start a new life; he had allegedly told family members he wanted to change and would do "whatever it takes."