Trooper Saves Man Planning to Jump from Tydings Bridge: Police

A state trooper from the JFK Barrack saved a man from jumping off Tydings Bridge over the weekend, according to Maryland State Police.

At 7:24 p.m. on Saturday, the trooper was driving north, heading back to the barrack, when he noticed a man walking on the southbound side of the bridge, approximately 50 to 70 yards from a parked vehicle, Maryland State Police spokeswoman Elena Russo said.

The trooper turned around at the next available opportunity and approached the man to check on him. “His intuition kicked in that something wasn’t right,” Russo said.

Watch the dash cam footage, which shows a dramatic rescue by the trooper as the man prepares to jump.

“A trooper’s in-car camera captures a tragedy avoided when a Maryland State trooper from JFK Barrack observed a man walking southbound on the Tydings Bridge in Cecil County,” police said in a message with the video, posted on Facebook Tuesday. “Congratulations to another job well done by one of ‘Maryland’s Finest’!”

Russo said the officer exercised extreme caution while also acting quickly.

“It could have been tragic for both of them,” according to Russo, who noted the man could have pulled the officer over the side of the bridge with him. “It took a lot of courage putting his own life in danger.”

The man was taken to Harford Memorial Hospital and was not charged, according to Russo. She said this was the first time the trooper has performed a life-saving rescue.

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Photo Credit: Maryland State Police