A dramatic Texas highway standoff unfolded Thursday after an armed woman sat in the middle of Interstate 45 following a crash, triggering a five-hour law enforcement response and massive traffic shutdown. The incident once again spotlights the growing intersection between untreated mental illness and public safety threats.
According to Harris County authorities, the woman crashed with an 18-wheeler in Spring, Texas, then exited her car, pulled out a lawn chair, and sat in the roadway while holding a handgun. “She persistently kept it to her face, her throat, her head, therefore making it very difficult for us to approach her and take the gun away,” Sheriff Ed Gonzalez stated.
Gonzalez described the standoff as a “very delicate situation,” noting the woman had a known “history of psychosis.” Her suicidal behavior forced law enforcement to shut down traffic in both directions of the major highway for hours.
The Crisis Intervention Response Team, alongside negotiators and the woman’s daughter, ultimately convinced her to surrender. “Once she realized her daughter was here, she was safe, she was going to be allowed to see her again, it got better at that point,” Gonzalez said.
