CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) -- Police shut down northbound and southbound lanes of the Ravenel Bridge Thursday afternoon leaving drivers stranded for hours and interstate traffic backed up for miles.
Around 2:30 p.m. local emergency response officials converged on the bridge after police say a man in a white SUV threatened to harm himself. The incident prompted the closure of the bridge for several hours.
Charles Francis, spokesperson with the Charleston Police Department, said they do not expect to confirm the identity of the man involved until Friday morning. As of late Thursday night, no charges had been filed against him.
Because of this, ABC News 4 has chosen not to release the man's name publicly. A spokesperson for Charleston County confirmed, however, that he is a former member of the Charleston County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad.
"It's real sad," said Kenneth Brittain, who was stuck in Mount Pleasant for several hours and unable to drive home to Ravenel. "It's real inconvenient. You have no choice but to sit to the side and wait til they can clear the bridge to get across."
As police redirected traffic away from the bridge, many drivers were left stranded on the side of Highway 17. At 3:50 p.m. one southbound lane was opened to allow traffic to get off the bridge.
"Officers didn't say anything, obviously they couldn't, but it would have been nice if it was a little easier to get information," said Kelly Slotin, who couldn't cross the bridge from Mount Pleasant to get home to West Ashley.
The bridge closure created a ripple effect on I-26 and I-526. Drivers were subjected to bumper-to-bumper traffic.
By 4:25 all lanes were shut down again as traffic cameras showed a white Lexus SUV that was causing all of the blockage -- bumping into the retaining wall of the bridge. Emergency divers were prepared to go into the water to respond if necessary.
Francis said they do not know of any explosives involved in the incident, but they also did not know what the man in the SUV had inside the vehicle.
The man's SUV contained the phrases "Game Over" and "Stay Away" written in large letters on the windows of the vehicle.
The Coast Guard reports that they had one boat underneath the bridge with at least two Charleston County Sheriff's Office harbor patrol boats.
Traffic could be seen building up on SCDOT cameras. By 4:30, police were turning around the few remaining cars at the top of the bridge northbound closest to the incident.
The driver of the Lexus SUV who blocked the bridge was in custody as of 5 p.m. Thursday evening. He was sent to MUSC for an evaluation.
By 5:25 a tow truck was on the bridge to take away the white SUV.
As of 6:10 p.m. southbound lanes of the bridge were opened, with northbound lanes still closed.
By 6:55 the bridge was open in both directions.
