A man who threatened to jump from an overpass in Hollywood, prompting the full closure of the 101 Freeway that jammed traffic in the area for hours, has been safely taken into custody, officials said Tuesday morning.
The incident began about 11:45 p.m. Monday when a man standing on a narrow ledge on an overpass forced authorities to shut down both sides of the 101 near Hollywood Boulevard.
The man held on to the fence for hours, facing officers who tried to get him to surrender as firefighters set up a ladder from the freeway below.
He surrendered around 9:40 a.m. after authorities started cutting a hole in the fence, Los Angeles police Capt. Scot Williams told KTLA.
All lanes of the 101 were reopened soon after.
The man, who’s about 25 years old, will be arrested on suspicion of trespassing with a parole violation and will be evaluated for mental illness, Williams said.
The incident caused a miles-long backup of northbound traffic all the way to the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles, Sky5 video showed.
On the southbound side, traffic became congested near Barham Boulevard in Hollywood Hills.
Surface streets surrounding Hollywood were also jammed for miles, causing major delays for morning commuters.
“I know it was an inconvenience,” Williams said. “It impacted a lot of people’s lives, including my own coming in to work this morning, but we’re happy that it did come to a safe conclusion with no one being injured.”
