after the crash. Your loved one’s death was violent. His or her body may have been seriously injured. You may be concerned your loved one suffered extreme pain or felt alone as they died. This is a common fear loved ones have and can be harder on the loved one than the person killed. It may bring you some solace to know that many people who have recovered from a traumatic event don’t remember the point of impact. In fact, most say that it was some time before they felt pain, even if they drifted in and out of consciousness. Researchers call this response stress- induced analgesia. The body releases hormones which block pain pathways to prevent people from feeling pain. No Opportunity to Say Goodbye After a crash, surviving family members and friends are emotionally assaulted. There is no time to gradually prepare for the loss. You could have never prepared for the devastating blow caused by your loved one’s traumatic death. When someone dies due to an expected death they may have the opportunity to see or talk with their loved one. You may not have had time to say
goodbye, tell them you love them or to spend time with them before their death. You may be sad that you weren’t with them when the crash happened or that they were alone.
No time to say goodbye.
Your concern that your loved one was alone at the time of their death is a valid one. However, you should know that it’s also very common that a witness to the crash
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