33-year-old jumps off overpass bridge
Published 8:23 pm Monday, July 23, 2012
Freeborn County sheriff's deputies, Albert Lea police officers and Minnesota state troopers converge Monday at Exit 11 of Interstate 35, where a man jumped off an overpass bridge during the lunch hour. -- Brandi Hagen/Albert Lea Tribune
ALBERT LEA — A 33-year-old Albert Lea man allegedly halted his Chevy pickup on southbound Interstate 35, exited the truck and jumped off the overpass and onto Freeborn County Road 46.
A Freeborn County sheriff’s deputy saw him jump. According to the Sheriff’s office, a deputy happened to be patrolling eastbound on County 46 and spotted the man standing on the bridge. The deputy parked and as he was exiting the squad car, the man jumped off the bridge around 12:53 p.m.
The deputy never had a chance to speak to the man, and it is likely, according to the Sheriff’s office, that he never even noticed the deputy pulling up.
The clearance underneath the bridge is 16 1/2 feet, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The County 46 interchange is Exit 11 of Interstate 35.
The man, whose name was not released, survived the jump. He was not struck by any cars. He was transported by ambulance to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea with injuries to his legs.
The Albert Lea Police Department and the Minnesota State Patrol assisted the Freeborn County Sheriff’s office at the interchange. Allen’s Tow-N-Travel towed away the pickup.
