At midnight on Tuesday, a man looked down at the traffic from an overpass on Interstate 696 in northern Detroit and considered jumping in an attempt to kill himself.
Around 1 a.m. on April 24, semi-truck drivers in the Oak Park area of Michigan received a distress call from area police: An unidentified man was standing on the edge of a local bridge, apparently ready to jump onto the freeway below.
Those drivers then did something amazing. They raced to the scene to help — and lined up their trucks under the bridge, providing a relatively safe landing space should the man jump.
According to reports, officers approached semi-truck drivers in the area that were delayed by the highway closure for help. As more trucks enlisted, authorities shut down the westbound lanes of the highway too.
The idea was to try to shorten and lighten the man’s fall if he decided to jump, making it less of a chance that his possible fall would be fatal. While the struggling man contemplated the decision to end his own life, authorities attempted to talk him down and 13 semi-truck drivers lined up their big rigs and turned them into a “truck wall” that spanned the entire length of the highway, just in case.
The heroism took place while most of the country was asleep, but the moment was captured on camera.
The pictures went viral after Michigan State Police tweeted them to thank local officials for devising the unorthodox plan. MSP Metro Detroit’s tweet stated, “This photo does show the work troopers and local officers do to serve the public.”
They also encouraged anyone needing help with suicide prevention or wanting to extend help to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
In a different tweet, MSP urged anyone who needed help to call a loved one, 911, or a member of the clergy: “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.”
Watch it here: ABCnews/Youtube
Sources: OpposingViews, CBS News
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