Great Lakes Crossing security officers save woman standing in traffic on I-75

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Two security officers from Great Lakes Crossing Outlets saved the life of a woman who was standing in traffic along I-75 Monday morning.

A call came in around 10 a.m. that a woman was standing on I-75 near the mall. It was clear the woman was trying to harm herself.

"Our goal in a situation like that is to get the person help," says Auburn Hills Police Lt. Casimir Miarka.

Without hesitation, police were on their way, knowing time was not on their side. But luckily, two security officers from Great Lakes Crossing Mall were a lot closer to the situation and were willing to help bring the woman to safety.

By the time Auburn Hills Police arrived at the scene, the security officers were talking with the woman as she continued to dart in and out of oncoming traffic. According to police, the woman was struggling to break free, but the officers were not willing to let it happen.

"Any time you have the efforts of a citizen willing to put their life in harm's way to help someone else - that is an outstanding thing," says Lt. Miarka. The police chief calls the two men heroes for what they did.

"By their actions [Monday], Great Lakes Crossings Assistant Security Director Howard Piotrovsky and Security Officer Mike Smith gave this woman the chance to find that better future when they risked their own lives by going out on the freeway in moving traffic," Auburn Hills Police Chief Doreen Olko wrote on the department's blog.  

Those who wear the badge say this just illustrates what can happen in an instant, and why training for these situations is so crucial.

"We're always training for the 'what ifs'. When we train we think 'What would happen here?'  Now we can go back and train to be better."

The Auburn Hills Police Chief plans to honor the two security officers for their heroic deed sometime in the near future.

We're told the woman is getting help and treatment.