13 Semis Line Freeway To Help Man Considering Suicide
13 trucks gathered under the overpass to help a man police were trying to talk away from the edge
A powerful image is making its way around social media today thanks to the Michigan State Police and a large group of semi truck drivers who banded together to help a man considering ending his life on a highway overpass.
While a man stood on the overpass where he could possibly jump onto the road below, a group of semis lined up underneath it to shorten the fall in case he followed through. According to Fox News 2, all lanes of 696 were closed at Coolidge in both directions while law enforcement worked to help him.
The Detroit Metro State Police received a call just before 1:00 am this morning that the man was on the bridge. Eastbound lanes closed as the police worked with the truck drivers passing through to organize their line-up.
As more semi trucks showed up, the westbound lanes also closed until there were enough trucks to span the length of the overpass. 13 trucks in all parked close together to provide a shortened fall if the man jumped from the bridge up above.
MSP tells Scary Mommy that this kind of incident doesn’t happen frequently, and there’s no protocol for the semi trucks that stop to help. “The troopers tell them what to do,” a representative from MSP tells us.
The department shared the photo on Twitter along with a message for anyone in need of help.
“This photo does show the work troopers and local officers do to serve the public. But also in that photo is a man struggling with the decision to take his own life,” they write, along with information for contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
They urged anyone in need of help to “call a loved one, member of the clergy or 911,” they wrote. “There are so many people that can help you make the choice to get help and live! It is our hope to never see another photo like this again.”
Thankfully, the man backed away from the overpass unharmed and was eventually escorted to the hospital by police for evaluation. Traffic was able to resume around 4:00 am and the incident came to a peaceful end thanks to police and the hero truck drivers.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
