A group of thirteen truck drivers worked together with local authorities to help save the life of a man who was contemplating jumping off of an overpass bridge to end his life.
It was around 1am early Tuesday morning when police first received a report about a man standing at the edge of a bridge passing over Interstate 696 in the Detroit Metro area. Following protocol, authorities closed down the roadway in both directions, a move which helps to calm the individual, keep motorists safe, and reduce outside input which could provoke an unstable individual to jump.
Then officers started to detour truck drivers on a route that brought them underneath the bridge. According to Michigan State Police spokesman Lt. Mike Shaw, placing large trucks underneath the individual reduces the potential fall distance from 15 or 16 feet down to only about 5 or 6.
Officers were able to re-route 13 different trucks, enough to span the entire width of the road in both directions.
After that it was another 2 hours before the unidentified man agreed to walk down off the bridge. Authorities brought him to a local hospital.
Pictures of the incident have gone viral online, but this practice isn’t at all unusual. According to Lt. Shaw, it’s standard practice to use large trucks to shorten fall distance. Generally, only one or two trucks are used, but this time the incident lasted long enough that authorities were able to get drivers to form a “truck wall” to help. According to Lt. Shaw, they’ve never had a driver refuse to help.
“Usually we don’t even get out of our mouths what we’re doing and the truckers are always appreciative. We know for them it’s a big commitment as well,” Shaw said. “They’ve got a boss that’s sitting there wanting to know why the load is late or looking to dock their pay and things like that, so we do appreciate their time.”
Always remember that free help is available at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or you can text “HOME” to 741741 to get free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line.
Source: overdrive, gobytrucknews, today, huffingtonpost, npr
Image Source: MSP Metro Detroit
Very cool.
So does this fall under the HoS emergency exception, or what?
Yes, it does. See: Emergency directives by law enforcement.
Those are very kind words there, Leutenant. We thank you. We appreciate you too, blue boys.
I must have gotten half a dozen links of this in my feed because I live close to where this happened lol. Its amazing how you can get enough truckers to form a cause to help someone or the police. But to force legislation, you cant get any one of us to agree and act. In a current state of steering wheel holders, Im glad there are still some truck drivers out there.
” placing large trucks underneath the individual reduces the potential fall distance from 15 or 16 feet down to only about 5 or 6.”
What about the 4′ or so gap between each truck?
Actually we are truck drivers were used to getting mirror to mirror do it was about two feet but the point is the humanity involved 13 random people cared enough about a stranger to help
How do the drivers log this lol. What if the driver ran out of hours? Fix the HOS.
Thank the officers and truckers working together
God Bless these guys and I hope the shippers and receivers were very understanding.
I couldn’t be prouder of my fellow truckers who are so willing to help. Thank you to all who have ever been involved in saving a life. You are a credit to our profession.
These damn political dingbats are going to keep attacking the heart of America and what keeps it going until drivers get together and start saying anything. I have yet to see a politician drive a truck and doubt if I ever do.
Very well done law enforcement I’m a truck driver well drivers
Very glad that they helped out, makes me proud to say l was a truck driver retired after 40 years of driving. Thank you drivers , and thank you men and women in blue .
If the guy wants to croak let him. This is the dumbest waste of time I’ve ever heard of.
Thinking the same thing, Jon K….If this guy really had the itch to jump, this convoy would not have stopped him.Jump between the trucks…As far as the truckers are concerned, nice job, you delayed this suicide long enough that it was prevented…the vast majority of us are always willing to the help when called upon…I would have done the same thing….cheers mate
Nice work….
We have always had out in us to pull together when asboutley necessary. People run is down say we’re the reason for 90 percent problems on the highway . etc. Great job truckers. You should of been awarded. Saving Thats mans life Was a reward in itself. . Im proud to say those are my fellow compadres. Ide be there for Any of them.
Meanwhile, in related news, four truck drivers were ticketed for obstructing traffic in the Detroit metro area citing their elog ran out of time and by federal law they could not move their trucks. One driver did move after running out of time and was ticketed for hos violations and was shut down for 10 hours.