It's Coming

It's Coming
Channel 4 helps protect your ID

°

Homepage / Jacksonville News
Text Size

AFLAC Billboard Prompts 911 Call

Caller Believed Man On Sign Was Real

POSTED: Friday, October 3, 2003
UPDATED: 12:52 pm EDT October 3, 2003

A billboard designed to be eye-catching for passing motorists accomplished that goal this week -- and then some.

Video

An AFLAC insurance company billboard on Interstate 465 prompted a 911 call Wednesday because the caller thought a real person was hanging from the sign, according to RTV6 in Indianapolis.

The billboard actually shows a mannequin falling off a ladder next to the words "Pays You Cash If You Get Hurt And Miss Work."

RTV6 obtained a copy of the emergency call:

    Operator: Caller stated there was a worker working on a billboard at the 421 exit ... said he observed the gentleman fall off the ladder and appear as though he fell off a power line and was not moving.

Washington Township officials responded to the emergency call for help.

"I actually had my binoculars out looking at the side of the road, looking at these billboards and on the ground to see if I could see anybody," Capt. Dan Linderman said.

Emergency officials soon realized what the caller had actually seen.

"We did put people -- not just the firefighters but also the citizens -- in danger, at risk, because we're driving red lights and sirens to a run," Linderman said.

The signs are debuting in five test markets, including Indianapolis. Company officials said the falling worker was added for creative effect. The company plans to take down the billboards, but didn't say when it would happen.

"AFLAC is very concerned that people are calling 911, and we understand that's a safety issue for other people," AFLAC spokeswoman Laura Kane said. "Obviously it was never our intent to create that kind of attention."

Officials said their billboards will be toned down in the future.

Sponsored Links

Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Boost your home value and make buyers bite with these bathroom updates. More

Employers generally have options when it comes to hiring. Makes sure you present yourself as professionally as possible, or else. More

The signs of Cancer can sometimes be very subtle. Here's a guide to help you recognize them early. More

Snacking can be a healthy part of your diet, as long as you choose the right snacks. Get tips for eating between meals. More

Most Popular

  • StoriesClick to Expand

    • Donna Brock Jailhouse Calls Released

      Authorities release the jailhouse calls of a former member of the group Equusearch who is accused of selling prescription pills.

    • Dentist Arrested For Drug Trafficking

      An Arlington dentist is behind bars after authorities say he was trafficking in prescription drugs.

    • Man Found Shot In Wrecked Pickup Dies

      Shooting on EmersonHomicide detectives are at the scene of a fatal shooting Tuesday afternoon in the Spring Park neighborhood, but the victim was actually found in a wrecked pickup truck a few blocks away on Emerson Street.

    • Deputies: Repo Leads To 2 Fights, Injury

      Repo man incidentA fight broke out twice in St. Johns County over a car repossession on Usina Road Extension late Tuesday morning, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

    • School Bus Driver Yells 'Man With Gun'

      School BusPolice said a man boarded a school bus that was carrying students from a Southside middle school and the bus driver yelled out it was a man with a gun, though officers said that wasn't the case.

  • VideoClick to Expand

    • Donna Brock Jail Calls

      Jail Calls It was around this time, exactly one year ago, that Misty Cummings says she last saw 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings in their Satsuma home. The investigation into the child's disappearance will be a year old tomorrow... An investigation the Putnam County Sheriff's office is telling us and SHOWING us tonight -- is still very much active. The newest conversations we've received, are jailhouse calls made by Donna Brock - A former employee with Equusearch. She's charged with dealing prescription pills... the same charges that are pending against Misty and Haleigh's father, Ronald. Channel 4 Investigator Jennifer Bauer has been listening to Brock's calls.

    • How To Tell If Your Spouse Is Cheating (Part 2)

      Wedding ringsA local private investigator talks about some of the warning signs that your spouse is cheating. (Part 2)

    • Melanie: Dad, Smoking, & Lung Cancer

      Melanie talks about the struggle her father and family went through as he battled his addiction to smoking and then later lung cancer.

    • 3 Restaurants Remain Open, But Ordered To Clean Up

      Feb. 4. restaurant reportState inspectors found problems at several restaurants last week, three of them serious enough to warrant follow-up visits.

    • Jailhouse Surveillance Video: Hank Croslin Sr. Talks To Misty

      Hank Croslin Jr., the brother of Misty Cummings, talks to his wife from jail via video conferencing.

  • SlideshowsClick to Expand