I-70 Horizon Drive Ramp Closed

Mattie Baker, Reporter

On March 15, 2022, citizens of Grand Junction were surprised to find that the I-70 eastbound ramp at Horizon Drive was closed for part of the afternoon. According to local police, a call came in about a suspicious car sitting alongside the highway. When Grand Junction Police arrived, they found a dead body in the car. As of now the investigators believe it to be a suicide.

Unfortunately, suicide is a major problem in the US. In life, everyone experiences ups and downs as this is part of normal life. However, sometimes people who are going through an extremely tough time can feel trapped leading them to think that the only way out is suicide. Yet, there are so many other options out there for people if they would just reach out to family, friends, or even various non-profit organizations for help.

In 2020, there were 45, 979 suicides alone. According to the CDC, “this is about one death every 11 minutes.” The rate of Americans who even considered suicide is tremendously higher with an estimated 12.2 million Americans. In 2020, “Suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 25-34,” claimed the CDC.

This number of people who have commited suicide or even considered it is much too high, which is why the country and various non-profit organizations have been working nonstop at improving the mental health of the country, and getting people the help they need as nothing is worth killing yourself over. In the presence of this tragedy, NBC 11 News would like to reminmd people that “If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.”

As of now the man has not been identified, however, our hearts go out for him for whatever he was going through that caused him to commit suicide.