[HUGS}
& to the police & ambos who have to deal with the aftermath. [HUGS]
I found a guy hanging in a tree near a trail a while ago. Still think why?
A mate I was riding with is a cop & called it in. I’ll never forget the young lady paramedic who had the job of body recovery, she was not looking happy.
I’ve met more than a few ambos who’ve looked after my wife, cannot be more grateful for what they do every day.

Jeez.. What a thing to happen.
Sounds like you dealt with it admirably..
Nothing can prepare you for that.
Stw always steps up when people need any help but reading the replies you already know that. Man hugs all round.

Horrible experience. Had a near miss myself coming home from work last year, someone looking shifty on the pavement, looked at the van and then stepped out when he thought I was too close to do anything about it. Luckily a combination of braking and swerving did the trick, and the lorry behind me clocked what he was doing and deliberately blocked the road in both directions. Even that experience messed me up for a while.

About 18 months ago a friend (and former Police officer) threw himself from a bridge at rush hour on the M6. He had suffered with depression but we didn’t think he would do anything like that.
Sad, and sorely missed.

I’ve seen many dead people on the roads of Africa, most often in Lagos so I can’t help having an instant reaction when I see anything dark-coloured lying in or beside the road. Nowadays thanks to cellphones the bodies tend to get collected in the morning so thankfully you don’t see them as often.

Not quite the same, as accident not suicide, but a friend got stuck under water for ~15 minutes (may have been half an hour, I wasn’t paying too much attention to the time as we were busy trying to extract her without getting washed under ourselves) when we were canyoning. I was sure she was dead when we left the emergency people working on her, but due to the cold water she survived – but badly brain damaged and eventually died a few years later.

Went back to work the following week, not feeling good, but carrying on – this was a couple of weeks before 9/11 and for some reason seeing that brought it all up and I ended up signed off for a couple of weeks. Took me a few months to kind of get back to normal – at this point it looked like she was going to recover well which helped a lot – but whilst I thought about it a lot (I still do and still have feelings of guilt) it did get back to normal.

Wish I’d talked about it more at the time – I think in a way we all wanted not to talk about it though (we did have some immediate counselling, but really didn’t want it at the time). Not sure how much that helps apart from that whilst you may never forget it does become possible to deal with, but do talk, don’t be afraid to cry, and if you need to don’t be afraid to get signed off.

Considered and sensitive post OP

Did you get any of the other witnesses details ? Talking to someone post incident is useful but not as beneficial as talking with someone who went through the same incident. It offers reassurance and so some extent, answers.

Remember there is no wrong or right way to process what you have been through. Focus on the positives !

What a horrible experience! Well done for talking about this OP.
It sounds like you’re taking the right steps already. Just make sure you keep talking about it.

I witnessed this a couple of weeks ago: http://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/man-who-died-after-falling-12182122

The one where numerous bystanders were filming it on their mobiles.

Someone jumped off a bridge on the M5 as we drove under it back in August. It was messy.

I was a bit rattled for a few days afterwards. This was more to do with the guy nearly coming through my windscreen rather than his sad passing TBH.

Talk to someone. Talk to anyone.

I had a long chat with a colleague and felt much better about it afterwards.

Sorry to hear this, I cycled past a cyclist who was knocked off his bike on Ringinglow and killed approx 7 or 8 years ago, and the image of his head covered in blood stuck with me for a while, and a sense of my own mortality did.

Make sure you talk to somebody, friends, family, work mates or Samaritans.

If you talk from feeling the need, within time you’ll hopefully feel back to normal again. In my experience the brain can have a funny way of not remembering what it doesn’t want to/what it isn’t most healthy to, once things have been processed.

Not a nice thing to go through, but you did a great service to the driver and showed that you care. See how you get on, and as others have said don’t feel bad about asking for help, and there’s people on here who’ve been through similar who can share the distress.
20 years ago I was the first person to arrive after a motorbike had hit a car head-on at high speed. The car was on fire with the driver sitting motionless inside it and the pair on the motorbike were spread in relatively small pieces over an area of about 50m. It wasn’t very pleasant. There was nothing I could do. I ended up going back up the line of traffic suggesting that the drivers turn around and find another route – which didn’t go down well with many of them.

The one where numerous bystanders were filming it on their mobiles.

Aye, the modern condition 😥

Although filming instead of helping is a regrettable modern phenomenon, filming something when there’s nothing you can do to help can be useful further down the line in establishing what’s happened.

As others have said, well done for talking about it. Write down your thoughts as well even if it feels weird. The process of writing them down can help give you a place to put them. It’s also worth identifying a friend if you can who will understand and can take listening to the same story again and again without trying to ‘fix’ things because there is no way to avoid this taking a while to work through, it’s just how it is. No one is really ready for this stuff

I imagine nothing can prepare you for such a dreadful experience. Makes you realise that if, despite our best Special Forces being trained to the nth degree, they still commit suicide at an incredible rate due to PTS, its clearly a very difficult thing to deal with. Just shows how it wreaks havoc on the human psyche.

I’m sure some of the preceding advice will be useful though. Hopefully time will be the best healer.

Tough experience OP, make sure you talk about the experience and go and see your doctor re: some counselling too.

I’d actually slightly contradict what others say, talk to people if you think it will help, but if you find this is just bringing the experience closer rather than making it what it is – a relatively rare tragedy – then stop.

Do take some time off from work etc. if things feel too much for a day or two though, and go and do stuff you like in that time, whatever will de-stress you.

Best thing the OP could have done is helped the poor driver and sat with him, he’s going to go through hell, going over and over in his mind if there was anything he could possibly have done to prevent the man’s death, and when someone’s really determined, I don’t think there’s much anyone can do.
I hope the OP can put this away somewhere in the back of his mind, and not let it prey on him.

Good point about not talking about it if it feels like it’s making things feel more raw or painful, it’s more some people’s way to turn inwards and just quietly deal with stuff.

OP good youve started talking. ..talk and keep talking to whoever will listen. Get it off your chest.

Nothing to offer in the way of advice that’s not already been offered.

Take care OP. Thinking of you.

It sounds like you did a great job OP. Looking after the wagon driver, talking to him and keeping him away from the body. You should feel proud of what you did under difficult circumstances. When the wagon driver comes around from the shock he’ll be grateful for having you there

Such a tragic thing for somebody to be driven to do that to themselves. I’ve seen the after effects of suicide and it’s life changing for those left behind.

Take care everyone. Go give big hugs to those you care for.

You were spot on talking to the driver, I’m a signalman on the railway and have had to deal with train drivers who have hit a person, and taking time to establish some sort of rapport allows the driver someone to focus on and can make all the difference later on.
As for yourself OP you can take credit for handling the situation exactly right but try not to dwell on it, easier said than done I know, and as others have said don’t hesitate to seek help if you are struggling with this.

, it’s more some people’s way to turn inwards and just quietly deal with stuff.

talking about it is a recognised way to help reduce the effects of PTSD, or at least that’s how I was taught and it works for me. Granted it might not work for everyone but it’s worth considering

Talking has always been helpful for me, but I know people who don’t seem to prefer that to quietly pondering and going out into nature or whatever, but I’m definitely a talker.

After the funeral of an uncle, I found it very life affirming to cycle up to Stanage Pole in the sunshine a day or two later, to get in touch with the sense of being physically alive again, as well as consciously as it were.

Typing the OP was a first important and helpful step. It’s important to remember that trauma and grief impacts everyone differently – there is no correct way to feel at any stage. Sometimes well meaning people who can actually be quite close to you may get in the way. In my case, dealing with witnessing and trying to prevent the sudden death of my Dad was made harder by my other half who told me I was wrong to feel guilty about the outcome of my actions and decisions. She also became distressed when I was upset and we had a really rough year when I withdrew into myself and spent a year living with no emotions. Only a long works trip abroad with a complete change of scenery and company snapped me out of it.

All of this and loads more is common – so as others have said, find the right audience and keep talking. Here might be as good a place as any. Happy to help more specifically if you want to pm me.

Really sorry to hear of this OP, I’m going through similar worries and concerns as last week we buried one of my old friends who had died of cancer, I spent the rest of day at the wake celebrating his wonderful life, only for his son to be killed trying to walk home along the main road by a lorry. We had grown up together and drunk together for years and its really hit me and the rest of our small Community.

OP…that’s an awful thing to witness and really sorry to hear. All the advice you have received is all valid and like a few have said don’t talk if you don’t want to. Do whatever you need to or not as the case maybe. I cant offer more as we are all very different beasts in our make up.

I had a similar thing (not as horrific) earlier this year finding a suicide out on an early morning ride. It shook me up more than I realised at first, just got on with it like “men” do . Well it did bother me it turned out , I had a major loss of mojo for riding (gave up for 3 months) , didn’t visit the area for months after and developed a big sense of guilt over the scene for some reason. Anyhow time passing, some heart to heart chats with Mrs Bigbloke , an odd ride or two with a supportive mate and eventually a visit to the scene again with Mrs BB resulted in a massive change for the better. The visit being the most positive. I now hardly think about it at all. Hope you find something that works for you OP just don’t let it control you.

Do whatever you need to or not as the case maybe.

i promise this is the last time I will contradict this advice but please take care with this. Not wanting to talk about it is also a sign of PTSD. If that’s the route you choose to take then take care of yourself and if you find yourself still constantly going over it in your head after a month then please be prepared to reverse that decision or even just post on here again

As ever the good folk on the forum have given great support and advice.
I had a similar experience when I was a young man when a 14 yr old lad fell through a skylight and died at my feet. It’s not something that I’ll ever forget but life does throw up these things occasionally. I still see his parents around and I do wonder how that lad would’ve turned out. He would’ve been around 40 now. Speak to your nearest and dearest while more professional help is available. Time is a healer

I didn’t leave work (on Surrey Research Park) until 19:30 that evening. Some of my colleagues had been sat in their cars for an hour and a half, in the car parks, the jams were so bad. I just kept thinking and telling people we should feel sorry for the victim, driver and those who witnessed the accident and thankful we were all still OK, just stuck at work.

Sorry you had to witness that, OP. Take it easy and keep talking. Bet the lorry driver is in bits. 🙁

Wayward – just to let you know, police notices up on A£ asking for witnesses. Havent checked if you mentioned speaking to them but FYI only

Hope you are ok

Indeed, fresh appeal for witnesses http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/a3-pedestrian-death-police-make-12301859

Though guess it’s not been ruled as suicide yet, but as said it’s way too common and it can impact on so many lives. The relatives and friends, the driver of the car/truck/bus/train or witnesses. Train drivers sometimes never go back to driving again after incidents like this.

Having done train commutes a fair bit it’s all too depressing hearing “person struck by a train” announcements. Almost always this is suicide, and often in popular locations to do it.

Though the person committing suicide is obviously in such a state that they’re not able to think straight and realise what they are about to do to other people. I always like to think if I was driven to suicide I’d want to just shuffle off with minimal impact and fuss to anyone else, but who knows when in that mental state.

It’s a tragic thing.

Hope you’re doing ok wayward. Regardless of the cause, just seeing someone in that state I can only imagine is terribly shocking.

I see what you say but I’m the opposite. When I’ve been at my lowest, to the point of planning how to do it, the act of planning has forced me to look at the effect it would have on others and the rational me then steps back.

There have equally been times when I’ve stood on a platform, and thought almost on a whim ‘one big step now and this’ll all be done’

I can’t put myself in the mind of the man that did it, but I have been in my mind at a time when i could easily have done it. Not somewhere I want to be again.

Was it an obvious suicide? There are a number of footpaths that cross the A3 on this stretch. No tunnels, no bridge;just a gap in the armco. They’re buggers to cross at the quietest of times.

Was it an obvious suicide? There are a number of footpaths that cross the A3 on this stretch. No tunnels, no bridge;just a gap in the armco. They’re buggers to cross at the quietest of times.

Read the first post. The dead guys car was parked at the side of the road.

Useful contribution to the thread though. Thanks.

Read the first post. The dead guys car was parked at the side of the road.

Useful contribution to the thread though. Thanks.
Uh huh. Just re-read the first post. There is nothing to link the car by the side of the road to the dead man other than an assumption it was his.
Maybe this is one reason the police are looking for witnesses?
Sorry I don’t have a gory story for you.

Couple of things. First I’ll echo the above. Talk.

2nd. It will fade I have carried bodies off the hills and its not nice if they have gone a long way. Troubled me for a bit but it went.

3rd. It was worse for the driver than you and you helped him. Maybe focus on your support rather than horror and guilt?