Trooper saves woman threatening to jump from Parkway ledge

<p>A New Jersey state trooper is being praised for saving a woman who was threatening to jump from a concrete barrier on the Garden State Parkway.</p>

News 12 Staff

Dec 22, 2017, 12:33 AM

Updated 2,326 days ago

Share:

A New Jersey state trooper is being praised for saving a woman who was threatening to jump from a concrete barrier on the Garden State Parkway.
Detective Anthony Giunta says that he got the call around 1:20 a.m. Wednesday that there was a distraught woman standing on a concrete barrier 40 feet in the air on the Parkway in East Orange. A witness told troopers that the woman appeared to be crying and looked like she was about to jump.
“I tried to establish some kind of communication with her,” Giunta says. “It was stop-and-go for a little bit and then thereafter I had a number of other troopers arrive on scene.”
Officials say that when Giunta and other troopers arrived the woman was sitting on the barrier with her legs hanging over the edge.
Dashcam video shows some of the troopers speaking with the woman. And then Giunta takes an opening to save her.
“I noticed that at one point she would put her arms over her head in a sign of frustration, maybe. When she did that I noticed I was out of her line of sight. I had an opportunity. She couldn’t see me coming. I just went for it,” Giunta says.
While the woman was distracted, Giunta grabs her and pulls her down off the ledge. 
“We are happy that it ended the way it did. Nobody got hurt and hopefully she gets the help she needs,” Giunta says.
The woman was then taken to Mountainside Hospital for evaluation.


More from News 12
1:11
Injury at Morristown NJ Transit station leads to train service delays

Injury at Morristown NJ Transit station leads to train service delays

2:30
Rain throughout Sunday for New Jersey

Rain throughout Sunday for New Jersey

1:50
Curfew enforcement for kids under 17 now in effect in Newark

Curfew enforcement for kids under 17 now in effect in Newark

1:06
Overnight fire destroys home in Lakewood

Overnight fire destroys home in Lakewood

1:46
Officials: Man killed in house explosion in South River identified as retired Newark officer

Officials: Man killed in house explosion in South River identified as retired Newark officer

0:42
NJ lawmakers criticize how Rutgers officials negotiated with pro-Palestinian protesters

NJ lawmakers criticize how Rutgers officials negotiated with pro-Palestinian protesters

0:28
Special election to be held to fill late Rep. Donald Payne’s seat in Congress

Special election to be held to fill late Rep. Donald Payne’s seat in Congress

0:42
Jersey Proud: Army ROTC students from Rutgers, Seton Hall and Princeton train together

Jersey Proud: Army ROTC students from Rutgers, Seton Hall and Princeton train together

1:32
Knowing the early warning signs during Stroke Awareness Month

Knowing the early warning signs during Stroke Awareness Month

0:27
Prosecutor: 2 people seriously injured in 3-car crash; driver charged with drunk driving

Prosecutor: 2 people seriously injured in 3-car crash; driver charged with drunk driving

0:30
Police: New York man pointed knife at pro-Palestinian protester in Teaneck

Police: New York man pointed knife at pro-Palestinian protester in Teaneck

0:27
Officials: Paterson man threatened to ‘shoot up’ JFK Int’l Airport

Officials: Paterson man threatened to ‘shoot up’ JFK Int’l Airport

2:02
Authorities: Major fire displaces 20 people from 9 families in Elizabeth

Authorities: Major fire displaces 20 people from 9 families in Elizabeth

1:04
Hillsborough school officials vote to end middle school sports, make staff cuts amid budget cuts

Hillsborough school officials vote to end middle school sports, make staff cuts amid budget cuts

0:49
Bridgewater-Raritan School District waives fees to participate in clubs, sports

Bridgewater-Raritan School District waives fees to participate in clubs, sports

0:39
Officials: 3 pedestrians, including 2 children, struck by NYC-based news van in Elizabeth

Officials: 3 pedestrians, including 2 children, struck by NYC-based news van in Elizabeth

0:28
GoFundMe started for 6-month-old boy and his grandfather killed by fallen tree in Verona

GoFundMe started for 6-month-old boy and his grandfather killed by fallen tree in Verona

0:40
Main Street New Jersey: Restaurants, businesses to visit in Edgewater

Main Street New Jersey: Restaurants, businesses to visit in Edgewater

3:21
Bridge over section of I-95 in process of being demolished due to damage from truck fire

Bridge over section of I-95 in process of being demolished due to damage from truck fire

1:26
Look up! Annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks early Sunday morning

Look up! Annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks early Sunday morning