A highway standoff that gripped commuters and first responders in Spring, Texas, ended without injuries. The incident involved a 64-year-old woman, reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis.
She blocked Interstate 45 South for hours on Thursday.
The bizarre and tense scene began after the woman was involved in a crash with an 18-wheeler and proceeded to sit in a lawn chair in the middle of the busy highway, armed with a revolver.
Authorities from Harris County Constable Precinct 4 responded to the scene and confirmed that the woman refused repeated commands to drop her weapon.
As traffic backed up for miles, negotiators were called in, and both northbound and southbound lanes of the highway were shut down.
“She persistently kept [the gun] to her face, her throat, her head,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez during a press conference, per Fox 26, “therefore making it very difficult for us to approach her and take the gun away.”
Spring, Texas Highway Standoff
The incident unfolded near Spring, Texas, just north of Houston. It began when the woman crashed her vehicle and exited, setting up a lawn chair directly in one of the active highway lanes.
