Traffic on Texas Interstate 45 near Houston was held up for five hours Thursday when a pistol-packing woman sat in a chair on the highway and threatened to kill herself.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Bureau Commander Maj. Cedrick Collier told reporters the 64-year-old woman started sitting in traffic after getting into a crash with an 18-wheeler Thursday afternoon.

The woman hit the truck intentionally, the sheriff’s office told KTRK-TV, and she could face a citation as a result.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the southbound lanes were blocked and that the woman was threatening to kill herself. Hours later, her daughter arrived to help talk to her, said Harris County Constable Mark Herman, Precinct 4 Republican.

“That was something that kept her here with us from doing something foolish. Once she realized her daughter was here, she was safe, she was going to be allowed to see her again, it got better at that point,” Sheriff Gonzalez said, according to Fox News.

The standoff ended peacefully five hours later, Sheriff Gonzalez and Mr. Herman said.

Maj. Collier said the woman, who has a history of mental illness, was taken into custody and hospitalized without the use of force. He also said there were no injuries as a result of the incident.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.