Troopers Talk Jumper Down From I-495 Overpass

Location of Incident: Naamans Road, over top of I-495, Claymont, Delaware, New Castle County

Date and Time of Occurrence: Sunday, May 24, 2009, at approximately 10:45 p.m.

Yesterday, DSP Troop 1 ‘A-Shift’ Units were dispatched for a report of a suspicious person. This subject was climbing on the overpass of Naamans Road overtop I-495. Prior to Troopers arrival on scene, Recom (State Police Dispatch Center), who was receiving multiple calls about this incident, provided responding units with updated information. At this point, the subject in question was hovering over the roadway below and appeared to be getting ready to jump.

As a matter of contingency, all those involved (Dispatchers and Troopers) prepared to handle this complaint as a potential suicidal subject. I-495 was shut down and units responded from multiple directions.

One of the responding Troopers was a trained negotiator. He arrived on the scene and immediately began to converse with the subject, a 26-year-old male from Claymont. After approximately 25 minutes of successful negotiations, the male subject came down from the ledge. He was transported from the scene to a medical facility which could provided him with the services he required.

I-495 was opened back up and all responding units cleared the scene.

Yesterday, the Delaware State Police and other emergency personnel successfully carried out an open water rescue and helped a distraught individual seek medical help. Colonel Thomas F. Mac Leish says, "All of those involved in these life saving incidents yesterday, both DSP and our municipal partners, truly showed their professional competence and devotion to duty. Their actions saved lives were kept with the highest traditions of public safety."