Lorry driver praised for parking under motorway bridge to stop man jumping off it
Citizen support group shared story to raise awareness of mental health issues
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A lorry driver has been praised after parking beneath a motorway bridge which it was feared a man would jump off.
A photograph shared on social media show a man sat on the edge of a bridge flanked by what appears to be two police officers.
Cheshire Police said it was called to a bridge over the M62 by Warrington on Tuesday afternoon due to safety concerns.
Vulnerable Citizen Support Leeds, a community interest company providing welfare services for those in need, shared a photograph of the incident on their Facebook page to raise awareness of mental health issues.
The non-profit organisation said it was sharing the image to show "it's okay not be ok".
The group, who also deliver food to the homeless, praised the lorry driver for taking action.
"What a trucker," the post said. "Stopping on the hard shoulder and leaving his truck there - to ensure when he did jump it wasn’t a longer distance to the floor."
It added: "What people don’t understand is that to jump on the other side of any bridge - indicates something drastically wrong with [their] mental health. But whats next?"
Social media users were united in praise for the lorry driver, with one user commenting: "Trucker is a good human and deserves the utmost respect."
Another wrote: "God bless the trucker and I hope and pray the man who was suicidal gets the help he needs and deserves."
Highways England confirmed to The Independent that the M62 was closed at Junction 9 by Warrington on Tuesday due to a police incident.
A Cheshire Police spokesperson told Sky News reports of safety concerns for a man on an M62 bridge by Warrington came through on Tuesday afternoon.
She said: "A full closure was put in place while officers and specialist negotiators attended to the scene to engage with the man who was brought to safety and handed into the care of paramedics."
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments