Woman treated for mental illness after threatening to jump from overpass

The 215 freeway in the Inland Empire reopened at 11:25 p.m. Tuesday night after being closed for hours at the Ramona Expressway.

Officers with the Perris Police Department said a woman was threatening to jump off the bridge. They arrived to the scene around 6:30 p.m. and found the woman standing on the overpass ledge, outside of the protective fencing.

According to the sheriff’s release, the woman refused to come down from the ledge and threatened to harm herself. Officers worked with the California Highway Patrol and Cal Fire to help control traffic on I-215 and provide safety measures for the woman and those driving in the area.

Officials said crisis negotiators with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department were called to help the woman in duress. After several hours, negotiators were able to encourage the woman off the ledge and she was taken to the hospital for treatment of mental illness.

The CHP reported people turning around on the freeway trying to get out of the backup that started around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night. Traffic was backed up for miles.