The C.E.O of a government-owned power company jumped in front of a coming train and killed himself in 2004. It’s a tragic event which was the result of an investigation into his financial dealings.

There’s a grieving widow involved and her family who are left to deal with the suicide. Also, suffering indescribable trauma is the unfortunate train driver who saw the man jump at the last minute in the path of the train and was helpless to do anything about it.

So now he can’t sleep at night and is tormented by the catastrophe. This has been going on since 2004. Apparently, there are several train drivers who have had to deal with suiciders who chose jumping in front of a train as a way out.

The first question that comes to mind is if you are going to do such a thing why involve another innocent human being and victimise him as well. But such a question does not take into account the fact that perhaps the jumper was not in his right mind. Personally, I am not convinced that one has to be insane to commit suicide, but that is neither here nor there.

What really concerns me is that after such an incident a driver is usually offered counselling and some compensation while he is off work, which is inadequate if he decides that he can’t face driving a train again. And who can blame him?

So Mr Jackson, the train driver, has been forced to sue the estate of the the jumper because the insurance company will not pay out on suicide. He is left in a bind, isn’t he? Either he sues the estate, which sounds like a mean act or he is left poorer than he would have been had the jumper not jumped in front of Mr Jackson’s train.

I believe, therefore, that the government department who employed him and placed him at risk of such a traumatic situation should compensate Mr Jackson. It makes more sense then having to sue the estate of the jumper which would only exacerbate the suffering of the widow. Surely she has suffered enough. This is where the government should definitely become involved rather than pass the buck to poor Mr Jackson. He has been through enough trauma.