Originally published 2018-04-29. Dates, ages and announcements in this article refer to April 2018.
In the early hours of 24 April 2018, Michigan State Police closed Interstate 696 near Detroit and guided 13 semi-trucks into a tight row beneath the Coolidge Highway overpass. A man was standing on the bridge above, in crisis and threatening to jump. The trucks were there to shorten any fall while negotiators talked with him. After about three to four hours, he came down safely and was taken to hospital for care.
The photo of that line of trucks spread around the world within a day. Here is the full story behind it: how the tactic works, who took part, why the police chose to share the image, and where anyone struggling today can find help.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, help is available. In the United States, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. Elsewhere, contact local emergency services or a national crisis line.
What happened on I-696
At around 1 a.m. that Tuesday, police received a call about a man on the Coolidge Highway overpass, on the boundary of the Detroit suburbs of Huntington Woods and Oak Park. Michigan State Police troopers and officers from Huntington Woods and Oak Park responded and shut the freeway in both directions so that no traffic would pass underneath.
Lieutenant Michael Shaw of the state police later explained that closing the lanes is always the first step in this kind of call. The second step, used when a situation drags on, is to bring trucks underneath. On this night the man needed far more time than usual before he was ready to accept help, so the response grew into something much bigger than normal.
A wide view of the lineup, captured by a Fox 2 Detroit crew. The trucks fill both directions of the freeway beneath the overpass, while police lights are visible on the bridge deck above. The image shows how the vehicles were packed edge to edge so that there were no gaps.
How a truck safety net works
The idea is simple and practical. The distance from that overpass to the road surface was roughly 15 to 16 feet. With a trailer parked directly beneath, the drop becomes about five or six feet onto a flat roof. That will not remove all risk, but it greatly reduces the chance of a fatal injury if someone slips or jumps.
The trucks did not line up on their own initiative. According to Shaw, troopers sent other traffic off at the exit ramp, picked out semi-trucks, explained what was needed and asked each driver to continue to the next trooper, who positioned them under the bridge. Because it was the middle of the night, most of the vehicles still on the freeway were trucks, so the line filled quickly. Shaw joked that drivers were “volun-told”, though he said police would wave on any driver who said the delay would cost them their job.
A closer view of the trailers parked side by side, with officers standing on the road in front of them. Each trailer roof sits only a few feet below the overpass railing. This was the part of the scene most people never saw in the viral version of the story.
The truck drivers
Thirteen drivers who did not know the man gave up hours of their night to sit under the bridge. Shaw told ABC News that in his experience drivers always agree when police ask: “We’ve never, ever had a truck driver turn us down.”
One of the drivers, Chuck Harrison, wrote on Facebook afterwards that a trooper went along the line and shook every driver’s hand to thank them. None of the truckers sought publicity, and most were never named. For an industry that often gets attention only for accidents and traffic, the photo became a small point of pride.
The overpass itself, lit by the flashing lights of police vehicles stationed on the bridge. The sign marks the Oak Park city limit, which is why officers from both Oak Park and Huntington Woods were involved. Negotiators worked from the bridge deck, out of sight of most cameras.
Negotiations and the outcome
The trucks were a backup plan. The real work happened on the bridge, where officers and trained negotiators spent hours talking with the man. Shaw said most such situations are resolved within 20 to 25 minutes and usually need only one or two trucks. This one lasted roughly three to four hours.
The man eventually walked off the overpass of his own accord. Huntington Woods police took him to Beaumont hospital for evaluation and treatment. He was never publicly named. Shaw later told trade magazine FleetOwner that the crisis had been triggered by a family dispute over child custody, and that he understood the man had left hospital and was getting ongoing care.
Two officers stand in front of the first trucks in the line. State troopers coordinated the trucks on the freeway while local police handled the scene on the bridge. The calm in the picture hides how tense the hours of negotiation were.
Why the police shared the photo
The Michigan State Police Second District posted the picture on Twitter, where it was viewed millions of times. Shaw said the department had hesitated. Police rarely publicise tactics like this, partly because they do not want people in crisis to know what to expect.
They decided to share it to make a different point. Their post said the image showed the work troopers and local officers do to protect the public, but that it also showed a man struggling with whether to end his life, and it pointed readers to a suicide prevention line. Shaw stressed that the most important decision of the night was the man’s own choice to step back and accept help.
Police vehicles gathered on the surface road beside the overpass. Agencies from three jurisdictions worked together through the night. Scenes like this are common on calls involving a person in crisis, though rarely photographed.
(The video originally embedded here is no longer available on YouTube.)
Getting help, then and now
In 2018 the police post listed the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s ten-digit number. Since July 2022, the same US network has been reachable by the short code 988, renamed the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day by call, text or online chat, with text and chat also offered in Spanish.
Shaw’s message after the incident still holds: there are always other options, including crisis lines, faith leaders, relatives, friends and 911. If someone tells you they are thinking about suicide, take it seriously, stay with them if you can, and help them contact a crisis line or a doctor.
A few points are often misreported about this story. It took place in April, not March, 2018. The trucks were directed by police rather than gathering spontaneously. And the photo shows only one part of the night: the hours of patient conversation on the bridge are what brought the man home safely.
Sources: ABC News, 25 April 2018; NPR, 28 April 2018; FleetOwner: the story behind the 13-truck lineup; 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Photos: Fox 2 Detroit and Michigan State Police.
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