Man kills himself on the A34, Anyone else share my view? Options

[motormad]

... Probably not but anyway.
I know this event happened a while ago, but still.

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2013/severel...-after-job-loss

So seems some guy was very upset because he lost his job.
That as may be, it's understandable. Whether suicide is the answer, well I think it's daft, a permanent solution to what is often (always basically) a temporary problem.
But we'll gloss of over that.

I think the issue here is the location of this chaps deminse - The A34, one of the busiest trunk roads in the South.
So rather than do it in a location that would not effect everyone else's day, on top of what it would do to his family, for example at home or a remote location with a letter, he did it one of the busiest trunk roads in the South infront of everyone else - Cheers.
I wonder what the effect on the road was? It surely must have been closed or diverted to one lane for a period of time. I looked back but can't be bothered to go that far in time as I have work to do.

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/origin...334/301/e92.jpg


Out of the whole article, one thing made me chuckle.

Assistant deputy Berkshire coroner Ashley Fegan-Earl said: “I’m not sure there’s sufficient evidence to definitely say he took his own life….while there’s good witness evidence that he was on the wrong side of the railings it isn’t clear that he was seen to deliberately jump or whether, indeed, he might have slipped.”

So if he went up there with the intent of killing himself and slipped rather than jumped, that is not to say he took his own life? Climbing over the barrier would pretty much indicate only one outcome to me.. An open verdict was recorded - It was a suicide?


Anyway RIP and all of that. I only feel bad for his family he left behind...

[dannyboy]

Many people attempt suicide as a cry for help. The coroner will know this only to well, and so will be unable to say for sure if the man actually intended to jump, or not.

[Andy Capp]

So if he went up there with the intent of killing himself and slipped rather than jumped, that is not to say he took his own life? Climbing over the barrier would pretty much indicate only one outcome to me.. An open verdict was recorded - It was a suicide?

To take one's own life means suicide. Suicide means to wilfully kill yourself. If he went up there to prove a point but didn't mean to go through with it, that means it wasn't suicide. You might even find there are legal implications regards insurance at what any settlement might be when considering the reason for death.

On a more broader point, trying to understand irrational behaviour is always going to be difficult to do. For someone to even pretend to go through this process means they are in a pretty bad state.

[On the edge]

When it comes down to it, we still know very little about how our bodies work, still less about our brain. Mental illness is very very real, but a Cinderella in terms of care, probably because we do know so little. Personal experience with a family member certainly showed me how hard and frustrating it can be - even the drugs used can have devastating side effects. One thing we do know, if sufferers could think and act rationally - this type of thing wouldn't happen. Can strike anyone of us, the veneer of rationality is very thin. Did you know for instance, that even simple an unchecked urinary infection can trigger irrational behaviour. Not sure what we can offer by way of positive help; perhaps a sympathetic hearing at least.

[newres]

I often think that people should try to refrain from commenting on things like this until they have had enough sadness in their life (unavoidable unfortunately) to have the maturity to have something useful to say.

[Exhausted]

That as may be, it's understandable. Whether suicide is the answer, well I think it's daft, a permanent solution to what is often (always basically) a temporary problem.

You're just the bloke that our mental health services need. A total understanding of what causes a mental breakdown and a solution to their problems. A bit like, "Snap out of it mate, you could get a job if you pull yourself together".

[motormad]

I often think that people should try to refrain from commenting on things like this until they have had enough sadness in their life (unavoidable unfortunately) to have the maturity to have something useful to say.

I have suffered from clinical depression and was on SSRIs for it for nearly a year.
I was like that because, well looking back, it was different at the time but it was ultimately my fault. I didn't want to change my ways, get out of the rut I was in, which were a variety of reasons.

But I snapped out of it one day after realising you know, my life isn't working out right, what can I do to change that? So I got my act together. I didn't think "my life isn't working out, let's off myself infront of the general public".

My point is why not just do it in private? Why do people in general who commit suicide have to jump infront of a bus, or a train, or off a bridge on a main road? It just seems and I don't want to say it but it's the only word I can really think of, a bit selfish to everyone else, general public and their family included.

Sounds harsh but often people do just need a reality check..

[badger]

For some people the depression lifts and they can see a way forward. For others the pit is so deep there seems no way out. As for the way in which people choose to end their life, I'm sure there is about as much logic to it as there is in making the decision itself, perhaps its more about it being quick. Perhaps they absolutely do not want their loved one to be the one to find them? Perhaps the anonymity of a 3rd party is preferable? and I don't expect in their mind-set, that they do think about the member of public, police officer or paramedic that has to find them. Its such a complex issue. And anyway we don't know what else was going on or had gone on in this mans life. In terms of the verdict, the fact that he was 'acting bizarre' 'standing up and ducking down' then seen 'hanging from the bridge' does not lend itself to the suicide verdict, as there seems some hesitation. I do feel for his wife and his friends who were trying to help him but couldn't reach him - so to speak.

[Andy Capp]

To be honest yes if he spent a bit of time and effort and sorted himself out a tad he could get a job and who knows?? Losing your job is not a reason to kill yourself and neither is anything else in life to be honest!! Not least your family who are now left behind with probably tons of unanswered questions and presumably children without a Dad.

Who knows if that is truly the reason? I doubt it is only one thing that triggers people to do things like this.

I have suffered from clinical depression and was on SSRIs for it for nearly a year.
I was like that because, well looking back, it was different at the time but it was ultimately my fault. I didn't want to change my ways, get out of the rut I was in, which were a variety of reasons. But I snapped out of it one day after realising you know, my life isn't working out right, what can I do to change that? So I got my act together. I didn't think "my life isn't working out, let's off myself infront of the general public".

I doubt clinical depression is a single symptom illness. I suspect it occurs in levels of severity, and I suspect many people will be able to cope better than others, too. You perhaps, because of your age and possibly because you were unknowingly 'getting better', were able to cope with it better.

My point is why not just do it in private? Why do people in general who commit suicide have to jump infront of a bus, or a train, or off a bridge on a main road? It just seems and I don't want to say it but it's the only word I can really think of, a bit selfish to everyone else, general public and their family included. Sounds harsh but often people do just need a reality check..

That would work for some, but people are not all the same as are illnesses and circumstances.

[Gazzadp]

Well having suffered from Clinical Depression, S.A.D. & Bi-Polar (I) for many years I can understand how some people feel that suicide is the only way out. BUT I do also think that it is incredibly selfish for a suicidal person to commit suicide by jumping in front of a lorry or train etc., Of course the sad fact is that when a person is feeling that depressed, they more often than not they will not be thinking properly anyway.

But I think the main problem is that sadly in this country Mental Illness is still such a taboo subject, which most people either cannot or worse will not understand. The fact is though 1 in 4 adults in Britain will be affected by some kind of mental illness at some point in their lives.

Sadly though the other 3 out of 4 can only usually say "pull yourself together!"

If only it were that simple...