DI mother urges safety barriers, crisis signs for Don Holt Bridge

Every time Denise Novosel drives across the Don Holt Bridge, she remembers the first time she crossed it. 

Novosel and her family had just arrived in Charleston on July 27, 2025, when their Uber got stuck in traffic on the bridge. Their driver told them someone was threatening to jump. A year later, the Daniel Island resident and mother of two high school students still thinks about that experience – and the lack of physical barriers along the bridge. 

“It’s all I've been able to think about every time I drive across it, knowing there are no suicide barriers in place,” she said.  
Novosel's concern took on new urgency following an Aug. 13 death on the Don Holt Bridge. Three days earlier, Mount Pleasant Police responded to another reported incident beneath the Ravenel Bridge. 

Charleston County recorded 76 suicides in 2024, 70 in 2025, and 41 as of July 20, 2026, according to the annual reports from the Charleston County Coroner's Office. Of those suicide deaths in 2024, five involved a jump from height. In 2025, the number totaled nine. 

“We want to be part of the solution, and we are willing to do our part,” said Kelly Moore, chief of staff for the South Carolina Department of Transportation. 

On Aug. 17, days after the two reported deaths, SCDOT issued a new engineering directive. It calls for SCDOT to consider protective fencing on developing projects involving tall bridges over bodies of waters and railroads; and on interstate overpasses that are constructed within municipal limits. 

Existing sidewalks and high pedestrian traffic may also factor into those decisions. 

“Engineering solutions are only a small portion of the work that is happening to address this larger issue,” Moore said. 

If SCDOT determines protective fencing is necessary on a pending project, the agency can include standard fencing within the project's scope and budget. If a municipality prefers a different form of fencing over standard fencing, it would be responsible for the additional construction cost and ongoing maintenance. 

BARRIERS ON EXISTING BRIDGES 

SCDOT's updated directive does not mean fencing will automatically be installed on existing spans, such as the Don Holt Bridge. Moore said SCDOT typically reviews fencing measures on completed projects at the request of local governments. 

That process has already played out nearby. 

After two suicides from the Ashley Phosphate Road overpass on I-26, North Charleston requested protective fencing, which Moore said SCDOT funded alongside an existing safety project. 

Signs displaying the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and QR codes connecting people with crisis resources have also been installed at that location. 

Now, Novosel will be pushing for the Don Holt Bridge to be evaluated, too. 

“I'd really like to see barriers installed – whether that's fencing, netting, or some other physical barrier,” she said. “Additionally, I think general signage providing a crisis hotline number would give people a resource in the moment they need it most.” 

Novosel has since reached out to public officials for help and called on community support online. 

“I'm hopeful that continued attention on this will push SCDOT and local elected officials to take the issue seriously and evaluate what can be done to prevent future tragedies on this bridge.” 

Her message to neighbors centers on any type of barrier,  whether fencing or signage, that could cause even a brief delay to someone in crisis. 

“A barrier creates time,” Novosel wrote. “And time can create an opportunity for help.” 

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can call or text 988 for free, confidential support.