13 semi trucks stopped beneath a bridge in Detroit to prevent a man from committing suicide. Around 1am, April 24th, police received a call about a man threatening suicide by taking a jump off a bridge onto Interstate 696. Police blocked off the interstate, as is protocol when someone is considering committing suicide over a road; but then they did something unorthodox. One by one, Detroit PD waved 18-wheelers around the blockade and directed them to stop beneath the bridge. 13 trucks in total lined up beneath the bridge, so that even if the man did jump, the fall would likely not be fatal.

“We have been doing this for as long as I have been in the department, which is 1995. We have kept it quiet for that long, but social media and cell phones kind of changes that,” Police Lieutenant Michael Shaw told Fox 2 news of Detroit. The image of the 13 truckers and multitude of police officers stopping the man from committing suicide went viral. The drivers and officers worked together, and three to four hours later, the man walked off the bridge and was taken to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak by officers.

Almost better than the obvious heroism shown by the truck drivers and police officers was Detroit Police’s response to the event. “This photo does show the work troopers and local officers do to serve the public. But also in that photo is a man struggling with the decision to take his own life. Please remember help is available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255” tweeted Michigan State Police Detroit, racking up over 18 thousand likes and 7.8 thousand retweets. Michigan State Police effectively turned the conversation back to the real issue, suicide, and reminded those that there is always help out there.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts and actions, help is available at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 and textline at 741-741.