SANTA CRUZ—Highway 1 in Santa Cruz, between Morrissey Boulevard and 41st Avenue, was closed for more than 90 minutes in both directions due to “police activity” on the La Fonda Avenue overcrossing, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said.
Just before 3pm multiple callers told 911 dispatchers that a person had crawled over the metal fence atop the highway overpass and was perched on a ledge over Highway 1.
Numerous officers from multiple agencies flooded the area and a staging area was set up near Dominican Hospital. With fire department officials and paramedics on standby, officers tried to establish communication with the person.
Meanwhile, other deputies raced against the clock to usher in several padded gym mats from a nearby gym in hopes of stationing them on the highway below the person.
At 4:35pm deputies detained the person.
Rush hour highway traffic, both north and southbound, diverted into surrounding streets, creating a massive traffic logjam that fanned out for miles in all directions.
