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Photos: Man Won't Get Off Of Overpass Sign, Shutting Down The 5 Freeway
It's Friday. It's rush hour. And part of the 5 Freeway in East L.A. has been shut down because of a man who is either suicidal or a tagger caught in the act.It is not clear why the man was clinging to the sign at the Downey Road overpass near Olympic Blvd., but his presence caused a SigAlert at about 4 p.m. today, KTLA reports. Both sides of the freeway have been closed; northbound 5 (Santa Ana) Freeway traffic was diverted onto the 710 (Long Beach) Freeway while southbound traffic was diverted onto Dittman Avenue.
Early reports said the man appeared to be clutching a spray can and was a tagger, but authorities have said he refused to come down and was possibly suicidal. In either case, they are treating him as such and have placed a big, inflatable mattress below. Here are some photos from the scene:
BREAKING: Ginormous grilled cheese sandwich shuts down the 5 Freeway at rush hour. pic.twitter.com/bmhpwlrb9x
— Militant Angeleno (@militantangleno) July 26, 2014
#photo 5 freeway right now through Boyle Heights. Drivers out of cars, watching the guy on the overpass pic.twitter.com/2ql3kJEYMW
— Tara Finestone (@tarawallis) July 25, 2014
#BREAKING: Firefighter just walked on scene with giant saw! This could get interesting. #5Freeway #BoyleHeights #KTLA pic.twitter.com/rfh4hehprw
— Marcus Smith (@MarcusSmithKTLA) July 25, 2014
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone, remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt, and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
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