Man Safe After Climbing onto Highway 101 Overpass

Police say the person who climbed onto the John Street overpass over Highway 101 became despondent because he thought he was going to lose custody of his children.

The incident closed down all lanes of Highway 101 and some of John Street, causing a traffic backup all the way to Prunedale as several officers talked the man into removing himself from the overpass. They were concerned for his health and safety.

Officers negotiated for about three hours before he was taken to Natividad Medical Center for evaluation.

Salinas Police Officers trained in Crisis Intervention along with 2 crisis workers from Monterey County Behavioral Health spoke with the man for several hours.

CalTrans is also doing construction at the overpass, but it’s not related to the incident.