VICTORVILLE — A portion of Interstate 15 was briefly closed Saturday morning when Victorville Deputies responded to a report of a man preparing to jump to the freeway below from the Palmdale Road overpass, according to San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department officials.
Authorities recieved reports at 10:45 a.m. that the suspect, a 34-year-old Victorville man, was seen outside holding on to the protective fence of the Palmdale bridge ready to jump.
Victorville deputies, California Highway Patrol and Victorville Fire Department personnel responded quickly to the report. CHP assisted in closing the northbound freeway and Palmdale Road.
Deputies G. Garcia and E. Oliveros immediately began talking to the suspect upon arriving to the scene and “building a rapport,” according to a County Sheriff's news release. Between them, they were able to successfully convince the suspect not to jump.
The man was brought down safely with the use of a ladder truck that Victorville Fire brought, officials said. He was then taken for treatment, according to the release.
Traffic was backed up for some time after the closure, which lasted until about 11:15 a.m. after the man was returned to safety.