CHP: Despite Delays, We Would Not Change How Officers Responded To Man In Distress On Hwy 99
SOUTH SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Traffic halted Thursday afternoon and drivers turned around on the freeway as police negotiated with a man in distress on an on-ramp for over almost 11 hours.
CHP said despite the delays, it would not have changed a thing about how their officers responded.
CHP Officer Jim Young says his wife kept checking in to see when traffic would get moving again, Thursday afternoon. He understands why people stuck in traffic got angry.
The delays began around 3 p.m. Thursday and continued until after midnight when the man surrendered to authorities. Many drivers saw the man on the overpass.
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"It was just a guy. I saw the cops were trying to talk to him," one driver said.
Officer Young wants inconvenienced drivers to keep one thing in mind.
"Think about if that was their family member who was in crisis up there," Young said.
Many drivers said they appreciated what officers did to get the man the help he needed. Young said the man is now getting the mental health services he needs.
CHP did not know how many drivers were stuck in traffic Thursday, but Caltrans numbers show up to 170,000 cars travel on that stretch of highway every day.