Bernardsville man, 27, dies while being restrained on I-287 in Parsippany

Posted via MyCentralJersey.com:

A 27-year-old Bernardsville man suffered a heart attack and died on the shoulder of Interstate 287 on Tuesday night as police attempted to restrain him after he jumped out of a moving car.

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office said the man — whom authorities did not identify — was being restrained by Parsippany and New Jersey State Police officers after he jumped from a moving car and ran from family members who were attempting to drive him to the hospital.

Police were called to the shoulder of northbound Interstate 287 in Parsippany, near the Interstate 80 interchange, shortly after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, by the man's mother, who reported that her son suffered a panic attack on the highway en route to St. Clare's Hospital in Denville.
Police officers and Parsippany EMS squads found the man walking on the northbound shoulder of the highway.

Two family members were by the man's side, attempting to keep the victim calm, along with two Parsippany EMS personnel who ultimately were able to convince the victim to lie down on the shoulder, out of harm's way.

Soon after the victim laid down, three Parsippany police officers arrived and restrained the man by placing handcuffs on his wrists and ankles as a safety measure. The man was about 6 feet tall and weighed more than 300 pounds, authorities said. Parsippany police were assisted by State Police, who kept the man restrained and in the prone position on the macadam shoulder, which was beyond a concrete Jersey barrier, authorities said.

The barrier had been temporarily placed there due to ongoing construction near the intersection of Interstate 80.

That's when the man became combative — five people were needed to restrain him due to his agitated mental state and girth, police said.
While on the ground, the man began lifting his head by arching his back, then slammed his forehead on to the hard macadam surface at least six times. The victim ignored multiple demands to stop. Officers attempted to cushion his self-inflicted blows by placing blankets and jackets under his head and face.

The man then went into cardiac arrest while still on Interstate 287. Efforts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at Morristown Memorial Hospital at 6:36 p.m.

An investigation by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit revealed that family members were driving the victim to Saint Clare's Hospital in Denville and were northbound on Interstate 287, just south of the Interstate 80 intersection.

The victim was in the right rear seat of the four-door vehicle when he became extremely agitated because he did not want to go to the hospital.

As the vehicle slowed down to about 40 mph to exit the highway, the man kicked the right rear door open and jumped out of the moving vehicle and threatened to run into traffic. The vehicle was stopped on the northbound shoulder of the highway while family members chased him. Soon afterward, Parsippany and State Police arrived and assisted in restraining the man prior to his cardiac arrest.

The investigation is continuing at this time.

The manner and cause of death is currently pending the Morris County Medical Examiner's findings, authorities said.