Please stop reading this entry if you cannot handle horrible information. This blog is really heavy - so be warned.
Today was a bad day to say the least. I tried parking in two parking lots with no success. So, I headed over to the 10th street parking garage because I knew that there would be parking there. I got out of my car and walked down the flight of stairs to get to the ground. I was walking for approximately 15 seconds before I witnessed something horrible. A woman, who appeared to be a transient or from one of the halfway houses from the area hit the ground. In fact, I saw her fall the last 10 feet of her drop and then hit the pavement with incredible force. People were standing all around the woman not doing anything. At first I was in shock about what I had just witnessed, but tried to call 911 anyway. My cell phone did not get through to 911 because I dialed it wrong in a panic - but there was someone else already on the phone with the police who had called at exactly the same time as me. As I was walking over the woman to see if she was ok, I instructed a student to quickly go inside into the Admissions and Records building to get someone to call for help. I then walked over to the woman and asked if she was ok. Gasping for air, but still breathing a bit, she didn't respond but appeared to be alive. The university police had come a minute later and tried to get the woman to respond - at this point she was still breathing, but she was not responsive. The police then moved the two witnesses, myself and a student, to where we were not able to see the woman. We were held for about 20 minutes and then questioned. They finally let us go since I had classes to instruct and the student had a midterm today.
Apparently she committed suicide by jumping from the 4th or 5th floor of the parking garage right in front of us. While she was still breathing when I went over to assure her that help was on it's way, she died shortly after the police arrived.
Today is a hard day for me considering the suicide of my father a couple of years ago. Now, I witnessed a person jump to their death right in front of me. I have no idea why I had to witness this, but apparently there is a reason. These are the times I throw my hands in the air, wondering why. A the same time I can't help but to trust in God fully and know that even when thing like this happen, He is still on His throne and through it all, is still in control no matter what happens.
I let my classes out early today, simply because witnessing such a tragedy like this had taken such an effect on me. I explained what I had just seen, and they understood. I can't help but relive the experience over and over again in my mind. I just wish I had gotten there a few minutes earlier - maybe I could have done something. Please pray for me. Even though I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is in control, this has still affected me deeply.
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