Victim of Freeway Overpass Suicide Identified

The woman who took her own life Monday morning by jumping off the Atherton Avenue overpass has been identified as 55-year-old Novato resident Sally Marie Kinn, according to the Marin County Coroner’s Office.

Shortly after 7am Monday, Kinn drove her car onto the overpass, got out and walked over to the other side of the railing, according to the CHP.

Kinn struck a car on northbound Highway 101, causing a two-car accident. One driver was taken to a hospital and treated from shock. All northbound lanes were closed to traffic until 10 a.m. and traffic was snarled for hours as CHP officers responded.

The incident has shocked Novato residents and commuters, some of whom had driven on the overpass just minutes before Kinn’s fall. One Patch reader said her daughter had seen the woman on the overpass as she walked to school and had made eye contact with her.

Attempts to reach Kinn’s family were not successful Monday evening and little is known about what may have prompted the woman to take her own life.

If you or someone you know is despondent and are thinking about suicide, help is available locally. Family Service Agency of Marin County runs a 24-hour a day suicide prevention hotline and can be reached at 415-499-1100. 

Did you know Sally Kinn? Leave your condolences in the comments below.