Additional Coverage:
- Armed 64-year-old woman blocks Texas highway in lawn chair during standoff: Officials (abcnews.go.com)
A major Texas highway turned into a temporary parking lot Thursday, as a 64-year-old woman brought rush hour to a standstill. Following a minor collision with a semi-truck, the woman, armed with a handgun, placed a lawn chair in the middle of Interstate 45 near Spring, and staged an hours-long standoff with police.
Authorities confirmed the woman has a history of mental illness. During the standoff, she reportedly held the revolver to her own head. Crisis negotiators and the woman’s daughter were able to make contact and de-escalate the situation, ultimately leading to her peaceful surrender.
Remarkably, no one was injured in either the initial crash or the subsequent standoff. Major Cedrick Collier of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office expressed relief, stating, “We saved a life.
The good thing is someone’s mother and grandmother is coming home tonight.” Both northbound and southbound lanes of I-45 were closed during the incident, causing significant traffic delays, but have since reopened.