Cornelia Officer Prevents Suicide Attempt on Hwy 385 Bridge

A quick-thinking Cornelia Police officer successfully intervened early Thursday morning, June 19, preventing a man from potentially jumping off the Hwy 385 bridge onto Hwy 365 traffic.

At approximately 7:26 a.m., the Cornelia Police Department was dispatched to the bridge after reports of a white male looking over the edge. Upon arrival, Officer Joey Newkirk observed the man with one foot on the ledge wall.

Officer Newkirk immediately engaged the man in conversation. Although the man initially stated he didn’t want to talk and wished to jump and vanish, Officer Newkirk persisted, building a rapport. He managed to get the man to agree to shake his hand. While doing so, Officer Newkirk gently and slowly pulled him away from the edge and convinced him to sit on the push bumper of his police car.

Through continued conversation, Officer Newkirk determined the man was experiencing a mental health crisis. The man expressed a desire to be taken to a hospital in Gainesville. Habersham EMS, who responded to the scene, transported the man and identified him as a resident from Vermont.

The Cornelia Police Department extended its thanks to the Cornelia Fire Department, Habersham EMS, and Habersham County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in the situation.