Possible Suicide Attempt Prevented

Police intervened in an alleged suicide attempt Wednesday night when numerous calls reported a man standing on the outside of the security fence on the Blossom Hill Road bridge over Highway 17.

When police arrived, they found a 30-year-old San Jose man “standing on a narrow piece of railing, hanging over the freeway,” police said.

Police responded to the area at 8:18 p.m. after several calls, and by 9:10 p.m., police and a friend of the man who was brought to the scene, were able to persuade the man to climb back over the fence to safety.

The San Jose man was taken into custody then transported to Valley Medical Center's Emergency Psychological Services for treatment.

Portions of southbound Highway 17 were closed by California Highway Patrol, and a Santa Clara County Fire Department ladder was issued to the scene.

For the past seven years, members of the have received specific crisis intervention training to assist officers when dealing with potential mental illness incidents.

Officer David Gregg, who has had the training, took command of the scene to determine the man’s reasons for attempting to jump from the bridge.