A man caused the closure of an interstate in the US after hijacking a construction crane and blocking traffic on the highway.
Matthew Vincent, 37, was taken into custody on Saturday (16) after police received multiple reports of cars crashing in a work zone around 5:30 a.m. on Interstate 10, the Louisiana State Police said in a statement.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the crane stopped in the median, with its cables hanging over the westbound lanes. The cables struck a passing vehicle, which caused several crashes, according to police.
No construction was underway at the time of the crashes, and no crew members were operating the crane when it caused the pileup on the highway, according to authorities.
Officers discovered a key fob from a Ram pickup truck inside the crane and found a matching pickup truck in a field south of I-10, near the crash site.
Authorities determined that Vincent drove the pickup truck off the highway and into the field before getting stuck, fleeing on foot along the interstate and “illegally” entering the crane.
Once inside the crane, Vincent is said to have moved the boom onto the highway, causing “major damage” to the equipment and leading to a prolonged highway closure, police said in the statement.
The road obstruction caused four car crashes, injuring two people, according to authorities. The crane operator was located and arrested near the scene.
Authorities are now investigating whether Vincent had any accomplices in the unusual act. “Anyone who may have been in the area before this incident and observed suspicious activity should contact Louisiana State Police detectives,” officers said.
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