Lt. Shaw told news reporters that they’d used the same tactic before, and they’d called on semi-truck drivers for help in other ways. He said, “We’ve never, ever had a truck driver turn us down.”
He explained that the image when the truck drivers blocked the highway wasn’t only to create a physical safety net, but also a way to send a message to the suffering man that he wasn’t alone.
Shaw explained, “There’s 13 truck drivers that didn’t even know this guy and were willing to slide underneath that overpass to help him.”
And the truck drivers were in it for the long haul; the whole incident took about four hours. “In the end, a row of 13 big-rig truck drivers remained in place under the overpass for several hours,” CBS news reported, “…until the situation was safely defused, and the man was escorted by police to a nearby hospital.”
As ABC put it, the photo of when the truck drivers blocked the highway shows “the power of people coming together to try to save a life to help someone in their moment of need.”
Many who learned of the event were moved.
One YouTube user posted, “This literally brought me to tears. They’ve never had a driver turn them down. So beautiful.”
In a time when a lot of the news seems to be negative and said, another YouTube user reacted to the kindness of the truckers, “This honestly really made my day, even if it’s one year old news.”
Pointing out that this action of the truckers blocked the highway took a sacrifice on their part, YouTube users, Cole World said, “That’s amazing. Those truckers are on a deadline and their jobs are sometimes on the line… this shows what’s truly important in life… saving a life however you can.”
If you know someone who is struggling with thoughts about suicide, take inspiration from these truck drivers. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or encourage the individual to call.
As the Michigan State Police tweeted in their photo of the event, “You can also call a loved one, member of the clergy or 911. 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.”
