Because it’s Ohio’s highest bridge, the structure attracts people considering ending their lives. About a half dozen times a year, the Ohio Highway Patrol is called to the 239 feet tall bridge on reports of people contemplating suicide, causing a dangerous situation for troopers and motorists.
“It’s not uncommon to get those calls about an individual walking to or from the bridge,” Lt. Anthony Lauer said. “We get someone there quickly because there’s no other reason for them to be there.”
Lauer said all troopers receive training in dealing with serious critical situations. Most times, troopers are able to talk would-be jumpers into changing their mind about jumping off the bridge, Lauer said.
While would-be jumpers could be cited with inducing panic for having emergency crews respond to the bridge, Lauer said troopers try to get that person taken somewhere for help.
“If we can get them medical attention and get them to the appropriate people, we think we’ve done what we needed to do,” Lauer said.
Debbie Poppe of the Warren County Coroner’s Office said six people have been killed after jumping off the bridge in the past eight years, including two in the last four months. The latest occurred on March 8 when a 38-year-old Jamestown man parked his car on the berm near the bridge and left a suicide note before jumping.
Trooper has talked down four jumpers
Sgt. Clint Arnold has been at the Lebanon post for the past 5½ years in his 13-year career with the patrol. During that time, he’s helped to talk down four would-be jumpers.
Arnold said in these situations, troopers are thinking about how not to cause a wreck and magnify the problem, as well as how not to get hurt and get the person down.
“You talk about anything except what they’re thinking about doing,” he said.
In one incident, Arnold said he had to pin a would-be jumper between him and his cruiser. He said the wall on the bridge is about three feet high and the shoulder is about two feet wide, which leaves little room to maneuver if there is a struggle.
In that incident, Arnold said he was able to push the man back away from the wall of the bridge and get him in for an evaluation.
Some attempts are stopped, others are not
While most try to jump from the bridge deck, on Sept. 2, 2007 one man managed get onto the catwalk under the bridge deck. About 230 feet above the river gorge, the man walked about 1,100 feet to the center of the bridge and sat there sending text messages to his wife.
Sgt. Thomas Bloomberg of the Lebanon post, and Lt. Mark Worley of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, scaled the catwalk and spent 40 minutes talking the man down.
Sometimes, troopers aren’t so lucky. Arnold said three years ago, he was heading south on I-71 and saw a man sitting on the wall with legs hanging over the bridge.
As Arnold turned around to go northbound, the man apparently saw him and pushed himself off the bridge in front of a number of witnesses.
Bridges slated for replacement
Sharon Smigielski, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 8 office, said plans are ready to replace the bridges.
Smigielski said the $110 million project did not receive federal stimulus grant funding but the state is looking for other funding sources.
However, there were no plans for additional safety features on the bridge other than increasing the height of the barrier walls from about 36 inches to 52 inches, she said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4504 or erichter@coxohio.com.
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