“Trying to Work and Console When You Can Barely Hold Yourself Together”

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – As loved ones prepare to lay victims of June 28th’s tragic car crash to rest this weekend, one of the first officers to arrive on the scene is speaking about the heartbreak he experienced, while opening up about the emotional toll these devastating tragedies take on the men and women who respond to them.

Inspector Jerome Thompson – Traffic Division, RBPF

“To hear each time the cry, hollering and screaming, and try to console the people you’re trying to console, [you’re] trying to keep yourself together.”

It was the first traffic tragedy in years to truly grip the nation, after five teenagers lost their lives after the grey Mazda sedan they were traveling in, carrying eight people, crashed into a tree on Shirley Street shortly after 1AM on June 28th.

The tragic incident, captured on surveillance video, prompted an outpouring of grief nation wide.

Prime Minister Philip Davis, described the tragedy as heartbreaking for the nation.

For one of the first officers on the scene, Traffic Division Inspector Jerome Thompson says it’s a scene he says he will never forget.

Inspector Jerome Thompson – Traffic division, RBPF

“In order for me to work effectively I had to imagine that I was on some type of training dealing with mass casually. Thats how I had to deal with myself to deal with the emotion.”

In the hours after the crash, graphic videos from the scene went viral, showing disturbing close-up images of those who were killed and injured.

However, Inspector Thompson says nothing compares to the reality of witnessing the tragedy firsthand.

Inspector Jerome Thompson – Traffic division, RBPF

“That scene ain’t really catch up with me as yet because how they were removed from the vehicle, and after EMS really dealt with them, and how they were spread on the side of the roadway cover up, [it didn’t] really catch up with me as yet.”

However, the trauma doesn’t end when the scene is cleared.

For investigators, some of the most difficult moments come in the days that follow, as they continue their investigation and meet with the grieving families left behind.

Inspector Jerome Thompson – Traffic division, RBPF

“When you going to the morgue to do identification, when we take the statement from them concerning their loved ones and then we have to show them the remains of the [victims] they have to identify…[we just try] to show the face and then sometimes there a lot. There’s a lot of damage in the face.”

Inspector Thompson admits it isn’t always easy for officers to find healthy ways to cope with the emotional toll of these tragedies.

However, beyond that, he hopes the public will think about the consequences of their decisions every time they get behind the wheel.