Lorry drivers line up under motorway bridge to stop man jumping to death
'If it takes parking your truck underneath an overpass for a couple of hours to make sure somebody’s safe, they’re more than willing to do something like that'
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Your support makes all the difference.Lorry drivers lined up their vehicles beneath a motorway bridge to stop a man jumping to his death.
The convoy rolled underneath a 20ft overpass on Detroit’s busy Interstate 696 to form a makeshift safety net as police negotiators spoke to a man contemplating suicide above.
Thirteen articulated lorries were involved in the operation, organised by Michigan State Police. The drivers had been waiting in traffic after officers closed the road at 1am on Tuesday.
The man walked safely off the bridge about three hours later and was taken to hospital for medical evaluation.
Chris Harrison, one of the lorry drivers who parked under the bridge, later wrote on Facebook: “The cops came up and waved 6 or 7 of us through and then stopped us under the bridge.
“Same thing on the west bound side. I just happened to be one of the guys in the front of the line.”
Afterwards, he said, “the highway patrolman came to each truck and shook our hands and said thanks for helping.”
Police Lieutenant Michael Shaw said police often enlisted lorry drivers in similar operations but it was unusual to have so many involved.
“We have been doing this for as long as I have been in the department, which is 1995,” he told Fox 2 Detroit. “We have kept it quiet for that long but social media and cell phones kind of changes that.”
Mr Shaw added it had never been a problem getting drivers to help.
“We know that usually if someone jumps from that height it’s usually not going to be a good outcome,” he said.
“Nobody wants to see somebody take their own life and if it takes parking your truck underneath an overpass for a couple of hours to make sure somebody’s safe, they’re more than willing to do something like that.”
For confidential support call Samaritans on 116 123. In the US, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
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