New York Thruway Closed when “Anti-Christ” Blocks All Traffic

They say that truth is often stranger than fiction, something proved by Saugerties, NY police on Sunday night.

While millions of Americans were getting ready to watch the Super Bowl this weekend, one man had other ideas. The Saugerties Police Department (SPD) responded to a 911 call on just before 6 pm. The 911 call reported a "pick-up truck with an attached camping trailer that had parked sideways under the thruway overpass, blocking all four lanes of traffic" (below). It only got stranger from there.

Truck and Trailer Blocking Traffic in Saugerties, NY

The man, who the SPD say is now undergoing a mental health evaluation, appeared "agitated" when approached by officers, claiming, amongst other things, that a prior presidential candidacy had turned the federal government against him, and that "the FBI and CIA had deemed him as Jesus Christ and occasionally the anti-Christ."

New York Thruway and Route 212 Closed in Saugerties, NY

While the situation was diffused, authorities closed both Route 212 as well as the New York State Thruway that crossed 212 via an overpass. Route 212 was closed for roughly an hour and a half, while the thruway was closed to traffic for under an hour. Police also discovered a warrant for the man's arrest.

Suspect had an Arrest Warrant from Montana

While the suspect had an arrest warrant from the state of Montana, it was "not extraditable," and he was brought to the SPD headquarters to be processed before being transported to Kingston Hospital for a mental health evaluation. The entire event, including the addition of an explosives team, baffled Saugerties residents.

Saugerties, NY Residents Respond to Incident

"Just left a local food establishment on 212. The employees said the cops arrested someone in a pickup with a trailer attached and the guy said he had a bomb in the trailer," said one resident. "I was going to Saugerties with my daughter, and there was a guy in a trailer with a dog outside and his trailer was parked, blocking the overpass," shared another.

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It's safe to say that both authorities and the local community are breathing a collective sigh of relief that the situation was de-escalated safely and that the man is receiving treatment. While not all Hudson Valley roads are blockaded by men with warrants, some are famous for other reasons. Check out the funniest roads in the Hudson Valley below.