A late night tragedy shut down the westbound Santa Monica (10) Freeway on Thursday after a man jumped from the Lincoln Boulevard overpass and was then struck by vehicles below, according to Santa Monica police. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators are treating the case as a suicide while detectives work to confirm the circumstances.
What authorities say
According to MyNewsLA, the incident happened at about 9:40 p.m. Thursday and was captured on city camera footage, Lt. Lewis Gilmour told City News Service. The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert at 9:56 p.m., shutting down all westbound lanes east of Lincoln Boulevard while officers and emergency crews responded. The victim's name has not been released, pending notification of relatives.
"After impacting the roadway, the subject was struck by multiple passing vehicles," Gilmour told MyNewsLA. Emergency personnel pronounced the person dead at the scene, the outlet reported. All lanes of the 10 Freeway reopened at about 1:50 a.m. Friday, according to the same account.
Traffic impact and context
SigAlerts at the Lincoln Boulevard overpass have shut the westbound 10 before, backing up traffic onto Pacific Coast Highway and clogging nearby surface streets while investigators work. As reported by the Santa Monica Mirror, previous serious incidents at this location have led to multi hour lane closures while CHP and city crews handled the scene.
If you're affected
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information to contact the Santa Monica Police Department, as detectives continue reviewing camera footage and gathering evidence.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with trained counselors and get immediate, confidential help.
