WPBN: According to New Hampshire State Police, a mental health crisis on the Piscataqua River Bridge on Interstate 95 came to a safe conclusion on Wednesday after both the high-level structure and the highway were closed to traffic.
A photojournalist from Seacoastonline who was on the scene reported seeing a man safely descend a ladder at approximately 3:10 p.m. following a conversation with police negotiators.
At around 3:14 p.m., state police announced that the individual in crisis had been safely brought into custody, and I-95 was reopened in both directions. According to authorities, the man was taken to a nearby hospital for a mental health assessment.
According to authorities, the incident started with a single-vehicle collision on I-95 close to mile marker 16 in Portsmouth shortly after 1 p.m. “The driver of the vehicle involved walked away from the crash scene and then appeared like they may jump from the bridge,” according to the police report from the callers who reported the incident.
During the event, authorities shut down all northbound and southbound lanes on the bridge that connects Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine, which resulted in significant traffic delays.
In addition to local law enforcement, state troopers from New Hampshire and Maine arrived. At 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, New Hampshire State Police initially reported the event.
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According to Maine State Police spokesperson Shannon Moss, boats from the Coast Guard and New Hampshire Marine Patrol were dispatched to keep an eye on the Piscataqua River below.
State troopers received help Wednesday from members of the Portsmouth Police Department and the Portsmouth Fire Department, state police said.
A man who escaped from police by running on the high-level bridge and then climbing the ladder on the bottom of the bridge was safely apprehended by Maine State Police in October. A thermal imaging camera was used to find the man.
