A man was detained on the well-known Dodecanese island of Rhodes on Wednesday after an erratic roadside episode in which he blocked traffic, stripped naked and climbed onto an ambulance on one of the island’s main roads.

The incident unfolded on Lindos Avenue, a major artery on the popular holiday island, where witnesses said he was first seen and videotaped lying in the middle of the road among passing vehicles wearing only trousers. He then got to his knees, tried to stand and began moving through traffic, at times halting cars and performing stretches and other exercises.

An ambulance that happened to be passing stopped at the scene, with its crew shielding him from oncoming traffic rather than attempting to move him immediately, according to witness accounts.

The situation escalated when the man removed his trousers, remained naked in front of the ambulance and then climbed first onto its windshield and then onto the van’s roof, startling motorists and bystanders. Witnesses cited by local media said ambulance staff remained calm and stayed at the scene until police arrived.

The man, identified as being from Afghanistan, later jumped back onto the roadway and was eventually escorted by police to the nearest station.