I can’t begin to get my head around what it must be like to be a member of the public, driving along on a typically mundane day, and suddenly come across a horrific crash like those on the A66 and in Northern Ireland recently.
My thoughts are not only with the innocent victims, but also the people first on the scene. To be confronted with something so traumatic in the blink of an eye, with no warning whatsoever, must be utterly devastating. I can’t imagine how you process something like that, or whether you ever truly get over it.
The emergency services deserve our absolute respect and admiration. They do an extraordinary job in the most dreadful circumstances, and I have no doubt that attending incidents like these affect them deeply. They are, though, trained and (somewhat) prepared for what they may encounter, and hopefully have access to appropriate support afterwards. But for an unsuspecting member of the public there is no preparation at all. Carrying that memory for the rest of your life is unimaginable, and my heart goes out to anyone who has found themselves in that position.
