SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 29, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A suspicious van parked beneath a freeway overpass in Salt Lake City shut down traffic and delayed trains for about two hours Monday afternoon.
Salt Lake City police say the investigation began at 3:10 p.m. when officers responded to calls about a van described as having wires “coming out of it” parked underneath the Interstate 15 overpass on 200 South.
Officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s SWAT Team and Hazardous Devices Unit responded to investigate, according to a news release. The Utah Highway Patrol and Utah Transit Authority police also assisted with the investigation, police said.
Officers established a safety perimeter around the van, including closing 200 South in both directions and stopping FrontRunner service in the area, police said.
At 3:40 p.m., officers “safely took a person into custody as part of the ongoing investigation. The person taken into custody remained fully cooperative with the investigation,” the release states.
After the Hazardous Devices Unit confirmed there was no public safety threat, the man was released, police said. Traffic in the area resumed about 5 p.m.
UTA alerted FrontRunner passengers of delays of up to 20 minutes due to police activity at 3:48 p.m. By 5:47 p.m., trains had resumed their regular schedule.
“The Salt Lake City Police Department extends its appreciation to community members impacted by this incident. Out of an abundance of caution, officers appropriately established a large safety perimeter, which impacted all forms of ground transportation,” the release states.
