M62 shut for 3 hours after man's suicide leap threat

Jun 28 2010 by Katie Grant, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

M62 shut down in bridge leap threat

A MAN who threatened to leap off a bridge high above the M62 brought chaos to the area.

The man spent three hours threatening to fling himself 120ft from Scammonden Bridge on to the busy trans-Pennine M62 yesterday afternoon, and police had to shut the motorway.

Eventually he was talked down by experienced West Yorkshire police negotiators.

But the M62 closure brought massive disruption for many thousands of drivers.

It meant many of them missed England’s vital World Cup match with Germany as traffic jams built up not only on the M62 but on surrounding roads.

And the Super League clash between Crusaders and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats was delayed two hours because the Wakefield team coach was caught up in the chaos.

The man, believed to be in his 30s, came down from Scammonden Bridge after more than three hours.

Thousands of drivers were stuck on the motorway with queues stretching eight miles to junction 20 at Rochdale on the eastbound carriageway and eight miles to Clifton on the westbound lanes.

West Yorkshire police spokesman Insp Peter Lobb said that at around 1pm police closed the motorway eastbound between junction 22 at Rishworth Moor and junction 23 at Outlane.