(12 Apr 2015, 11:35 am)Tommy_1581 wrote It's a very sad story indeed, the TOC (ATN) had sacked him because he had a drink problem but never was drunk at work; I find that petty and a horrible thing to do.
I know a similar thing happened with a Tyne and Wear Metro driver, I think he became a counsellor for DB Regio or something along them lines.
Being the Echo, the trolls will come and rant about Arriva buses and bus stations and all the ones writing about how they feel sorry about the driver and the teenager will be heavily 'disliked'.
Not even a quick Google search can please the Echo, it's just another way to pick at Arriva.
As sad as it is, in my opinion, there is more to it than simply 'he was never drunk at work', I dont see how he could for that, as long as it did not impair his job, though he may have cracked with PTSD
I reckon he may just have cracked up and got the boot for something else...Railway deaths are not pretty, let me assure you on that, it is a psychological nightmare...
I have an idea of what that must be living with, I know where his mind probably is, I witnessed a 'one-under' at Kings Cross/St Pancras when I was a teen and have probably felt something close to that driver, I started to self medicate, both legally and illegally to mask bad dreams, the nightmares have come back recently after reading about rail deaths lately, tje meds I am on has seen me have shitty nightmares, add to that one of my mates being killed in Durham crossing the ECML in 2000, I know what the mind can do to people after stuff like that.
In these cases maybes TOCs should place drivers on indefinate leave with intense counselling to try get over accidently killing people, with the same for bus drivers and professional drivers