201810.03
0

Apparent jumper injured in fall onto 57 freeway in Anaheim

by in News

A man was injured after jumping or falling from an overpass onto the 57 Freeway in Anaheim in front of hundreds of bystanders on Wednesday, Oct. 3.

Traffic comes to a stop on the 57 Freeway and Lincoln Avenue as Anaheim police officers try talking a man from jumping on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. The man jumped down, landing on his feet and surviving before he was transported to a hospital. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Anaheim police, Anaheim Fire & Rescue and the California Highway Patrol responded sometime before 1:30 p.m. to reports of a man walking on a chain link fence guarding the edge of the Lincoln Avenue overpass at the 57 Freeway, according to authorities. Police tried talking to the man, urging him not to jump.

The incident prompted a SigAlert that shut down both directions of traffic and stalled hundreds of motorists.

People stand on the 57 southbound Freeway as they try talking a man from jumping from the Lincoln Avenue overpass on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. Authorities said the man jumped down, landing on his feet and surviving before he was transported to a hospital. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Many bystanders got out of their cars and also shouted at the man, trying to coax him to come down safely, according to Register photographer Mindy Schauer. At 1:47 p.m. the individual landed in the northbound lanes of the freeway, sustaining what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Florentino Olivera.

“He is lucky he landed on his feet,” said Olivera.

He said the man was taken to a hospital and all lanes of traffic were reopened by 1:57 p.m.

Anaheim police officers react after a man fell from an overpass at Lincoln and the 57 Freeway while threatening to jump on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. The man was alive before being transported for medical treatment. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)