Lt. Michael Shaw of the Michigan State Police needed the public’s assistance in the early morning hours of Tuesday. Fortunately, he’d receive precisely what he required from a bunch of unselfish people. The picture of the 13 truck drivers has left many people dumbfounded.
13 trucks lined up beneath a flyover on Interstate 696 in Detroit, Michigan, obstructing traffic in both directions, does not seem to be cause for celebration. But make no mistake: it most surely is. The vehicles were there for a very special and unselfish cause. The Michigan State Police (MSP) had asked them to do something they couldn’t: assist them in saving a man’s life.
After receiving a complaint that a man was threatening to commit suicide by leaping from a flyover over Interstate 696, numerous local law enforcement agencies raced to the location with negotiators. The police then devised an unexpected strategy to prepare for the worst-case situation. The vehicles formed a “safety net” underneath the flyover.
When the cops arrived, they gently spoke to the guy as others moved to the highway, flagging down truck drivers and organizing them into a queue under the bridge to minimize the distance that the man would fall if he jumped.
According to Lt. Shaw, the trucks were placed closely together to ensure that if [the guy] moved anywhere on that bridge, there was a semi there. MSP Metro Detroit afterwards rushed to Twitter to post a photo of the great work.
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. Please remember help is available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. pic.twitter.com/RBAlCIXT1o
— MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) April 24, 2018
This picture shows how hard troopers and local police work to protect the public. Yet there is also a guy in that photograph who is contemplating suicide. Please keep in mind that the National Suicide Prevention Hotline number is 1-800-273-8255, as stated beneath the photograph. One may also phone a loved one, a church person, or 911. There are so many individuals that can assist one in making the decision to seek assistance and live! They hope to never see another picture like this again, they said afterwards.
They constantly want to make sure that folks understand that there are so many alternative possibilities, Lt. Shaw said of the position. And they should be able to see through the picture that others, even strangers, do care. There were 13 truck drivers who didn’t even know this guy but were willing to slide underneath that flyover to help him, Shaw continued.
However, the endeavor was not the first for police, according to Shaw. They’ve never, ever had a truck driver turn them down, he continued, demonstrating the kind of individuals truck drivers are. This is also no easy process. In this scenario, the trucks stayed for many hours overnight.
First, the trucks formed a queue across the highway’s eastbound lanes. As more semitrucks arrived, Michigan State Police closed the westbound lanes as well. In the end, a row of 13 big-rig truck drivers stood in position beneath the flyover for many hours until the issue was successfully defused and the guy was transported by police to a nearby hospital.
According to Lt. Shaw, the individual ultimately informed authorities that he was experiencing problems with his family. After almost four hours, officers were able to securely remove the guy from the ledge. While most of America was sleeping, an unsung act of heroism occurred, and a life was saved, as our truck drivers demonstrated that they do so much more than clock miles across the country.
If you or someone you know is depressed or suicidal, there is always aid available. Remember this picture when you have trouble believing it. The thirteen truck drivers who waited patiently for four hours are evidence that there are always individuals who care, even when it doesn’t seem like anybody cares. Someone is always ready to catch you, literally. All you have to do is request help.
