Woman running on I-5 prompts traffic break

CHP officers reported that she appeared unhurt

There were some tense moments along the Grapevine Wednesday afternoon when a woman was seen darting in and out of traffic across all lanes of Interstate 5, near Vista del Lago.

Officers with the California Highway Patrol carried out traffic breaks in both the southbound and northbound lanes of I-5 in an effort to slow traffic so the woman was not struck.

Reports from motorists to the CHP shortly after 2:20 p.m. included claims that the woman was dancing on interstate lanes, waving her arms and running into the paths of big rigs.

“We had a female acting erratically on the interstate,” CHP Officer Eric Priessman said.

“We received reports of her waving her arms and a report she was taking off her clothes,” he said. “At times, it looked as though she was jumping in front of big rigs on the freeway.”

What complicated CHP rescue efforts was that the woman appeared intermittently on both northbound and southbound lanes. At one point, the woman was reportedly running south on the northbound side of the freeway.

“They lost sight of her a couple of times,” Priessman said.

At least two times, CHP officers reported that they were approaching the woman slowly, when suddenly the woman would bolt away and elude them.

Twice, after CHP officers reported losing sight of her, the woman was soon spotted down an embankment.

At 2:31 p.m., CHP officers made contact with the woman about one mile south of Vista del Lago.

The woman was reported to be unhurt.

It was not immediately known if the woman was clothed by the time CHP officers caught up with her.