At 12:35 a.m. Monday, Sulphur Springs Police noticed a vehicle parked at the League Street overpass and a white female standing over the guardrail on the overpass over Shannon Road, the south service road, according to Police Chief Jay Sanders. She refused to respond to a negotiator and jumped.
The officer called for assistance and Seth McDaniel, a trained negotiator for the department who was on duty, responded. In attempts to communicate with the female, she refused to speak or communicate with McDaniel. At one point, she leaned back and was hanging onto the guardrails. He continued to attempt to open communications. Other officers and EMS responded to the scene. She finally let go of the guardrail and fell. At this time no note or other information that would identify a reason for the incident has been found.
EMS found her to have a strong pulse and to be breathing when they began to attend her on Shannon Road. Chief Sanders said the trauma to the head was severe and she died at the hospital. Justice of the Peace B. J. Teer ordered the body sent for autopsy.
This is not the first death resulting from a jump off the League Street Bridge. In 2013, Tony Crayton, accused in the death of his wife, Jessica Tyler Townsend Crayton, at her home in October of last year. As police began to search for a suspect, they got a report that Crayton had jumped off the League Street Bridge onto I-30 injuring him. He did not die from the injuries and was convicted for the murder. Jumps from College Street and Loop 301 overpasses have also occurred. Chief Sanders said this is an unusual event but when it occurs the department responds as quickly as possible.
