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A man believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis crashed his car on the Piscataqua River Bridge, Friday, before attempting to jump and being talked down by police.
At about 9:11 a.m., police received a report of a two-vehicle crash on the southbound side of Interstate 95 on the Piscataqua River Bridge, which spans the Maine-New Hampshire border.
At 9:17 a.m. a passing driver reported that a man appeared to be attempting to jump from the bridge, Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety said.
Kittery Police officers made contact with the man and were able to take him safely into custody for a mental health evaluation, Moss said.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe the man was experiencing a mental health crisis and had been driving to jump off the bridge when he was involved in the crash, Moss said.
Traffic on the bridge was affected for about 30 minutes while police negotiated with the man and the vehicles involved in the crash were removed. Both vehicles sustained minor damage, and no injuries were reported, Moss said.
Traffic flow had returned to normal as of 3:15 p.m.
