Authorities said the woman who held up traffic for 5 hours on Thursday isn’t facing charges. Instead, she’s getting a mental health evaluation.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The woman who held up traffic on the North Freeway for five hours on Thursday is not facing any charges, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.
The 64-year-old woman was instead referred for a mental health evaluation after the standoff on I-45 in the Spring area.
The woman’s daughter told KHOU 11 News that she visited her mother on Friday, a day after the ordeal. She said she appears to be doing much better and is eating and drinking.
The daughter said her mother suffered a mental breakdown, something that hadn’t happened in the past.
The standoff
The woman held a gun to herself for five hours on Thursday afternoon, forcing a major backup on the North Freeway.
Authorities said she intentionally crashed into an 18-wheeler before pulling out a lawn chair and sitting in the middle of the southbound lanes.
The situation began around 1:30 p.m., and around 6:30 p.m., the woman surrendered and was taken into custody.
When the woman finally dropped her gun, she hugged negotiators before she was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
How it started
Authorities initially responded to the scene after getting reports of a crash. They said the person who called 911 told them that a woman at the scene of the crash was armed with a gun. Authorities later said that the woman had intentionally crashed into an 18-wheeler on the highway, got out of her vehicle, pulled out a lawn chair and held a gun to herself. No one was injured in the crash, investigators said.
When first responders got to the scene, they said the woman ignored their demands, prompting the standoff. Negotiators from multiple law enforcement agencies showed up at the scene to talk to the woman.
Authorities said they called a family member to come to the scene to see if they could help resolve the situation.
The incident unfolded in the southbound lanes of I-45 near Cypresswood Drive in the Spring area. Both northbound and southbound lanes of the freeway were shut down by emergency crews as the situation unfolded.
About five hours later, that woman put the gun on the ground and surrendered. She was not injured.
Here’s the update provided at the scene: