An Orange County Fire Authority captain jumped to his death from the Crown Valley Parkway overpass at the San Diego (5) Freeway in Mission Viejo Tuesday, Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer said.
While there was no word of a motive for the suicide, Spitzer recalled difficulties people face during the holiday season and “how precious life is.”
“Incidents like this serve as a reminder the holidays are a very tough time for a lot of people, so just hope everybody spends a great time with their family and remind yourself and your family just how important and precious life is,” Spitzer said.
The victim leaped from the overpass just before 11:20 a.m. and was struck by vehicles, according to OCFA Capt. Larry Kurtz. At the end of Tuesday’s county board meeting, Spitzer adjourned the gathering in memory of Capt. Eric Weuve.
The 41-year-old Weuve was assigned to Station 64 in Westminster, Kurtz said.
Weuve worked for the OCFA since 2005, according to Kurtz, who said the Authority’s chaplains have been dispatched and its Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team was at the scene for support.
The incident forced authorities to block southbound traffic until a couple of lanes were reopened at 12:10 p.m., Kurtz said.
Authorities were called just before 11 a.m. about the threat, said California Highway Patrol Officer Agustin Latosquin.
Northbound traffic was not blocked.
Weuve’s Facebook page shows him pictured with children; the page states that he was a Huntington Beach resident who was divorced in 1999. Mission Viejo is listed as his hometown.
Funeral service information for Weuve has not yet been released.
–City News Service and staff