It is definitely unusual to see 13 truck drivers parked under a bridge and blocking traffic on a highway going in both directions. But this is exactly what other drivers in Michigan saw. People couldn’t believe what they were seeing, but when they found out why, they were even more shocked.
Lieutenant Michael Shaw of the Michigan State Police needed help from the public early on a Tuesday morning. He was lucky that a group of selfless people would give him exactly what he needed. Now, the picture of the 13 truck drivers has left many people unable to say anything.
At first glance, seeing 13 trucks lined up under an overpass on I-696 in Detroit, Michigan, blocking traffic in both directions doesn’t seem like something to be happy about. But don’t get it wrong, it most certainly is. There were those trucks for an amazing, selfless reason. The Michigan State Police (MSP) had asked them to help save a man’s life because they couldn’t do it themselves.
After getting a call that a man in Detroit was planning to kill himself by jumping off an overpass above Interstate 696, several local law enforcement agencies sent negotiators to the scene. CBS News says that the police then came up with an unexpected plan to protect against the worst case. Under the underpass, the trucks made a “safety net.”
When police arrived, they talked to the man calmly while others went to the highway to flag down truck drivers and line them up under the bridge so that the man would fall less far if he jumped. This was reported by ABC News. Lt.
Shaw said that the trucks were lined up close together so that “if the man moved anywhere in that overpass, there would be a semi there.” Later, MSP Metro Detroit shared a picture of the amazing work on Twitter.
“This picture does show what troopers and local police officers do for the public. But there is also a man in that picture who is struggling with the idea of killing himself. Please remember that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is there to help you at 1-800-273-8255,” they wrote next to the picture. “You can also call a friend or family member, a religious leader, or 911. So many different people can help you decide to get help and live. We hope to never see another picture like this,” they said later.
Lt. Shaw said of the post, “We always want to make sure people know there are so many other choices.” And the picture should show them that other people, even strangers, do care. “There are 13 truck drivers who had no idea.