Texas man facing jail for highway-blocking marriage proposal

HOUSTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A man who stopped traffic on a busy stretch of Houston interstate for his marriage proposal is facing the possibility of jail for his gesture, police said.

Vidal Valladares Navas, 24, recruited friends to drive their cars along his on Interstate 45 Sunday and stop on a spot with a view of the city's skyline so he could get his girlfriend out of the car and propose in the road.

"There were about 8 cars with me and we just lined up -- 4 and 4 -- and we just stopped," Valladares Navas told KTRK-TV.

Valladares Navas' intended, Michelle Wycoff, 23, was unaware of the proposal plans, but quickly accepted.

"I said, 'Are you serious?'" Wycoff told the Houston Chronicle. "Then I saw all my family and friends with cameras and I looked where Vidal was and he was down on one knee.

"Honestly, I didn't think about if it was a good idea or a bad idea. I was just so happy in the moment. I love him so much," she said.

Pictures and video of the question popping went viral on social media, where Valladares Navas was sharply criticized for bringing traffic to a halt for his proposal. Honking horns in the video appear to indicate the blocked motorists were also annoyed by the delay.

Valladares Navas admitted the stunt was dangerous.

"Love makes you do stupid things and I wanted to do something big for my girl. Something that she will always remember," Valladares Navas said.

The Houston Police Department said an off-duty officer was among those who witnessed the proposal. Investigators took video of the proposal to the district attorney's office, which agreed to file charges.

Valladares Navas was charged with a misdemeanor count of  obstructing a highway, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail.

"Besides being illegal it is incredibly unsafe and we would discourage anyone from taking such unnecessary risk which could result in injury to themselves or others," Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Raquelle Lewis said.

Valladares Navas was divorced in June from a two-year marriage. He said he separated from his wife after only eight months of marriage.

"I'm feeling bad, and of course," Valladares told KTRK-TV. "I'm wanting to apologize to everyone if I caused any problems. That wasn't my intention in the beginning. I just wanted to do something different."