Police have released more information about a fatal incident that occurred on a Florida interstate on Thursday.
The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. on February 25 near Alachua, Florida.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office received several 911 calls about an individual who appeared to be distraught standing on the Millhopper Bridge over I-75 northbound at mile marker 390.
When the first deputy arrived on scene to respond, the man jumped off the bridge before the officer could act, striking a semi truck as he fell. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Patrick Riordan said that the truck driver who was hit by the falling man stopped and cooperated with police. “Once he understood and recognized a person had jumped off the overpass and struck his vehicle he immediately pulled over to see what happened,” Riordan said. The truck driver wasn’t injured.
After an investigation, police determined that the man who passed away was a 48 year old Mississippi resident who had been traveling north on I-75 when he parked his truck alongside the interstate and walked up an embankment to the bridge.
Heavy law enforcement presence on I-75 north bound near the Millhopper Road bridge regarding a suicide. Please use caution and avoid the area if possible.
— Alachua Co. Sheriff (@AlachuaSheriff) February 25, 2021
All lanes of I-75 were reopened shortly before 8 p.m. Many drivers reported sitting in long traffic backups for four hours.