Traffic Stops for Hours After Man Climbs Highway Sign

DAVIDSON COUNTY, TN- A Tennessee man stops traffic on a busy interstate for hours, after he climbed on top of a highway sign.

His actions forced police and rescue crews to stop traffic in both directions Tuesday afternoon.

We now know the man who climbed this sign is 46-year old William Waters.

Metro police say waters lived in a men's homeless shelter in Seattle, Washington.

Waters is undergoing a mental health evaluation after everything that played out here this afternoon.

Midafternoon, in bumper to bumper traffic, Metro Police shut down the interstate in both directions on I-65.

At first, drivers think the standstill is due to an accident.

On the ground, police and firefighters gather around, while overhead a man can be seen clinging to the I-65 exit sign.

3:30 p.m. turns to 4:30 p.m., and Waters is heard shouting.

"No. I don't want help," he yells.

Waters can be seen getting visibly agitated when rescue workers try to negotiate with him.

On the ground drivers get out of their cars, and pull out there cell phones and watch as traffic backs up for miles.

Firefighters try to climb up the sign to rescue Waters, but Waters can be seen crawling away from them.

As day turns to dark, 4:30 p.m. turns to 5:30 p.m., there isn't a single moving car on I-65.

After two hours, Nashville firefighters raise two ladders, convincing Waters to step to safety.

Waters was observed and given a mental health exam after he was rescued.

He's also facing criminal charges, of disorderly conduct and blocking a roadway.

Local police say Waters does not have an arrest history in the area.