RTA with a death
Discussion
I was driving earlier and cane across the aftermath of an rta. Was just wondering what the driver could potentially be charged with as killing someone is life changing.
Country road national limit around 6:30 sun going down. Blind bend sun low girl in the road. Pick up truck hits her and she is dead.
I really don't know how the emergency service deal with it. I was only there for 5mins seeing if there was anything I could do. But I can't get the image of the girl laying on the road blood everywhere and a twisted mangled body.
Country road national limit around 6:30 sun going down. Blind bend sun low girl in the road. Pick up truck hits her and she is dead.
I really don't know how the emergency service deal with it. I was only there for 5mins seeing if there was anything I could do. But I can't get the image of the girl laying on the road blood everywhere and a twisted mangled body.
I feel for you, that can't have been easy.
When my dad retired he worked out roughly how many fatalities he'd been to. He did tell me but I can't remember the exact number, it was well into 3 figures I remember that much. I doubt any of them will ever be forgotten entirely but no doubt some stood out more than others.
You ask how the emergency services cope, I think humour is a big part of it. I've heard many stories most dressed up with dark humour, some obviously too distressing/inappropriate to try and joke about. I'm guessing I was only told the latter as lessons. A big part of coping from my experience were the successes; seeing justice and saving lives. For every life my dad has witnessed slipping away he's been able to assist in the preservation of a greater number. Being instrumental in changing the way things are done to reduce fatalities to record lows despite an ever increasing number of people using the roads, that's got to help. None of these things help members of the public who've witnessed such horrors though. I'm sure counselling services exist if the memories affect you in the long run.
I doubt that moment will ever leave the driver of the pick up truck, I feel for the guy.
When my dad retired he worked out roughly how many fatalities he'd been to. He did tell me but I can't remember the exact number, it was well into 3 figures I remember that much. I doubt any of them will ever be forgotten entirely but no doubt some stood out more than others.
You ask how the emergency services cope, I think humour is a big part of it. I've heard many stories most dressed up with dark humour, some obviously too distressing/inappropriate to try and joke about. I'm guessing I was only told the latter as lessons. A big part of coping from my experience were the successes; seeing justice and saving lives. For every life my dad has witnessed slipping away he's been able to assist in the preservation of a greater number. Being instrumental in changing the way things are done to reduce fatalities to record lows despite an ever increasing number of people using the roads, that's got to help. None of these things help members of the public who've witnessed such horrors though. I'm sure counselling services exist if the memories affect you in the long run.
I doubt that moment will ever leave the driver of the pick up truck, I feel for the guy.
Pretty much all the offences that could potentially arise are here: http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/road_traffic_of...
Just because someone dies in a collision doesn't necessarily mean any is at fault (criminally). IIRC, 2/3rds of road deaths result in no prosecution (this will include deaths where the deceased is the only person invoked etc).
Just because someone dies in a collision doesn't necessarily mean any is at fault (criminally). IIRC, 2/3rds of road deaths result in no prosecution (this will include deaths where the deceased is the only person invoked etc).
Dan_M5 said:
I was driving earlier and cane across the aftermath of an rta. Was just wondering what the driver could potentially be charged with as killing someone is life changing.
If he was driving carelessly, then Death By Careless Driving.If he was driving dangerously, then Death By Dangerous Driving.
If he was under the influence of drugs, over the drink-drive limit, or was uninsured or unlicenced, then they'll add to the DBCD penalty.
If it was her fault, and there was no problem with his driving, then he won't be charged with anything.
Dan_M5 said:
I really don't know how the emergency service deal with it. I was only there for 5mins seeing if there was anything I could do. But I can't get the image of the girl laying on the road blood everywhere and a twisted mangled body.
As well as has been mentioned above with the humour, which also goes as almost group therapy, they should get a de-brief, run through the events, set the mind to rest all was done as well as possible etc.You might want to consider something similar to this, earlier the better.
I've watched videos of RTA aftermath. Car ripped open like a tin can, a whole family still sat in their seats, all dead.
The children looked so peaceful, like they were pretending to be asleep, like they would just open their eyes, smile, then start talking to you.
They didn't even have a scratch on them. Obviously all internal organ trauma from the helish forces of the crash.
Perhaps better they go together, quickly, than One toddler pulls through, to find she's lost her 4yr old sister and brother who died, along with both parents!
Yeah an adult understands what they just saw / experienced, and that there's ways to deal with it. A child wont understand, why their family have all suddenly disappeared from their life... forever.
The children looked so peaceful, like they were pretending to be asleep, like they would just open their eyes, smile, then start talking to you.
They didn't even have a scratch on them. Obviously all internal organ trauma from the helish forces of the crash.
Perhaps better they go together, quickly, than One toddler pulls through, to find she's lost her 4yr old sister and brother who died, along with both parents!
Yeah an adult understands what they just saw / experienced, and that there's ways to deal with it. A child wont understand, why their family have all suddenly disappeared from their life... forever.
DanSI said:
Yeah an adult understands what they just saw / experienced, and that there's ways to deal with it. A child wont understand, why their family have all suddenly disappeared from their life... forever.
Children are far more resilient. A child will adapt to new family circumstances very quickly. It's the adults that struggle to cope.Is Durbster around to comment?
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Children are far more resilient. A child will adapt to new family circumstances very quickly. It's the adults that struggle to cope.
Is Durbster around to comment?
But children growing up in a "happy home" where both parents are at each other almost every day, become psychologically affected, which can in turn affect their own relationships as adults?Is Durbster around to comment?
I think the child would be well aware that a void has been left behind (surviving an RTA where other family members pass away), plus certainly relate to the company and familiarization of their family unit (that has suddenly stopped), without understanding why?
OP. Imagine trying to work on that person to keep them alive or trying to find the different pieces of a young child and having someone come up and abuse you for closing the road.
A regular thing. Next time you come across a closure, perhaps you could explain to those with you what might be happening.
A regular thing. Next time you come across a closure, perhaps you could explain to those with you what might be happening.
It's awful.
I came upon similar several years ago in the early hours after finishing a night shift, teenage drunk driver had struck a wall, killed a 16 year old girl. I attempted CPR on her while on the phone with the 999 responder, but nothing. Ambulance came and took over. Didn't make it. He got DBDD AFAIK.
Can still vividly picture the scene even now, not easy for a 19 year old me to process and I still have the odd moment.
Huge respect to anybody who has to deal with that on a daily basis.
I came upon similar several years ago in the early hours after finishing a night shift, teenage drunk driver had struck a wall, killed a 16 year old girl. I attempted CPR on her while on the phone with the 999 responder, but nothing. Ambulance came and took over. Didn't make it. He got DBDD AFAIK.
Can still vividly picture the scene even now, not easy for a 19 year old me to process and I still have the odd moment.
Huge respect to anybody who has to deal with that on a daily basis.
My Father in law was killed by a bloke driving his girlfriends car without consent (she gave evidence), no insurance, faulty headlight and I think a defective tyre (was 10 years ago now.) No criminal punishment at all and no remorse.
Mitigating circumstances were that it was on a dark country road with no pavement. FIL was wearing dark clothing and had been to the pub.
Still remember the phone call waking us up. On the rare occasion that there is a false alarm at our commercial premises and we are phoned at night it is quite haunting.
Mitigating circumstances were that it was on a dark country road with no pavement. FIL was wearing dark clothing and had been to the pub.
Still remember the phone call waking us up. On the rare occasion that there is a false alarm at our commercial premises and we are phoned at night it is quite haunting.
djc206 said:
I feel for you, that can't have been easy.
When my dad retired he worked out roughly how many fatalities he'd been to. He did tell me but I can't remember the exact number, it was well into 3 figures I remember that much. I doubt any of them will ever be forgotten entirely but no doubt some stood out more than others.
You ask how the emergency services cope, I think humour is a big part of it. I've heard many stories most dressed up with dark humour, some obviously too distressing/inappropriate to try and joke about. I'm guessing I was only told the latter as lessons. A big part of coping from my experience were the successes; seeing justice and saving lives. For every life my dad has witnessed slipping away he's been able to assist in the preservation of a greater number. Being instrumental in changing the way things are done to reduce fatalities to record lows despite an ever increasing number of people using the roads, that's got to help. None of these things help members of the public who've witnessed such horrors though. I'm sure counselling services exist if the memories affect you in the long run.
I doubt that moment will ever leave the driver of the pick up truck, I feel for the guy.
My dad retired from the Police 17 years ago; mainly traffic, I know he saw hundreds of accidents and deaths, I never really spoke about it to him, however there was only one death that he claimed affected him; a toddler who drowned in a water butt in the family's garden, he pulled the toddler out and tried to revive him.When my dad retired he worked out roughly how many fatalities he'd been to. He did tell me but I can't remember the exact number, it was well into 3 figures I remember that much. I doubt any of them will ever be forgotten entirely but no doubt some stood out more than others.
You ask how the emergency services cope, I think humour is a big part of it. I've heard many stories most dressed up with dark humour, some obviously too distressing/inappropriate to try and joke about. I'm guessing I was only told the latter as lessons. A big part of coping from my experience were the successes; seeing justice and saving lives. For every life my dad has witnessed slipping away he's been able to assist in the preservation of a greater number. Being instrumental in changing the way things are done to reduce fatalities to record lows despite an ever increasing number of people using the roads, that's got to help. None of these things help members of the public who've witnessed such horrors though. I'm sure counselling services exist if the memories affect you in the long run.
I doubt that moment will ever leave the driver of the pick up truck, I feel for the guy.
From that day we never had green wellies because that is what the toddler had on his feet, they just stuck in his mind.
I went to a pedestrian rtc where a five year old child was killed. I got to him and he was the spitting image of my son. I just stopped dead. Had to take a deep breath then switched on and got on with it. Despite dealing with dozens and dozens of fatals, as investigator or FLO, it's the only one where I called home and asked if he was safely tucked up in bed.
DanSI said:
To the OP, you stopped for 5 minutes to see if you could help? Weren't the emergency services there at that point?
What do you think she was doing there? Walking through the lanes alone, or cycling or something? Sounds surreal.
It's a country road that links two villages together naseby and welford. She would of just been walking minding her own business. The ambulance got there about 10mins after I left as I had seen it past me on the way home. It was like the truck had hit a lamppost the damage that was done to it. Bonnet bent, radiator leaking. What do you think she was doing there? Walking through the lanes alone, or cycling or something? Sounds surreal.
She didn't look peaceful in any state. Large pool of blood going into the road from her head. Arms twisted around her body. Eyes wide open and just zero movement.
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