27/05/2024
A Very Weird Police Event with a Spiritual Connection.
Many years ago, I was a uniformed police officer at a rural police station in North Essex, which encapsulated part of the border with Suffolk.
One warm summer evening around late July, I drove a marked police vehicle intending to return to my station to go off duty at 10 pm. But before I could do so, I was called to assist with blocking off a countryside transit road from Essex into Suffolk while another officer was dealing with a minor road accident involving a car striking a power pole on a notoriously sharp bend. The driver was uninjured, but the road closure was necessary as the cable from the struck pole was dangling across the road, presenting a clear danger to all road users.
Without hesitation, I manoeuvred my police car across the highway, with its blue lights flashing, effectively barricading the area. I promptly placed a road closure sign and warning lamps, ensuring no vehicles passed while Suffolk police did the same.
About 10 minutes later, I received a call from police HQ to leave the closure and drive to the scene of the minor accident, which had now been upgraded to serious. That was odd, as non-injury accidents do not generally turn into something more dangerous. Regardless, I drove to the other officer who required my assistance.
On arrival, I saw that a Saab car was in contact with a now-leaning power pole, and although I could see a police car, I could not see the power cable or the officer.
I left my car parked some 10 metres from the scene and walked over to find the other officer, who (as it transpired) was obscured by his vehicle. As I was 3 metres away from his car, I heard the officer aggressively shout, "Chris, do not move; stand where you are!" I saw by my police torch that the cable was very close. As it was black and masked by darkness, it appeared invisible. I very carefully worked my way back and around to the officer by walking across the edge of a field and saw, to my horror, a lady in a dressing gown lying prone on her back in the road and not moving as my colleague on his knees tried to revive her.
As we attempted CPR resuscitation, he briefly outlined to me that she had come from a neighbouring farmhouse with a mug of tea for him. Before he could react to stop her, she walked into the deadly power line, and in reaction, he pulled her off, which resulted in him also taking a massive charge of electricity that catapulted them both at least three metres into the air. She had apparently caught the cable by her throat. For 10 minutes, we took turns attempting to revive her, but to no avail; I could not feel a pulse, and her larynx felt crushed.
I told my colleague what I had determined, and he immediately collapsed in tears. I, too, cried, but for them both and hugged him. It was a very moving moment as we both felt great sadness for the loss of this poor woman's life. But in truth, she was already gone by the time I had arrived. It was the saddest moment of my life.
I took the officer to a local hospital after the electricity company engineers and other officers attended the scene, and the poor lady was removed by ambulance. When we arrived at the Accident and Emergency ward, a doctor told him to remove his police boots. A perfect burn impression was then found on both the soles of his feet, detailing the stitching of his footwear. The doctor told him that he was fortunate to have survived. However, surprisingly, he was in good health and was released after some tests, so I took him home.
From here, the story I am relating becomes weirder. The lady was a Dutch woman married to an Englishman, and she was killed indirectly, perhaps, by an Englishman driving a Dutch registered car.
Some years later, I met a medium for a private reading who suddenly blurted out. "I have a Dutch lady who you tried to save at a road accident. She saw you both trying to revive her, but she was already gone. She was above you watching you both cry, and she wanted to tell you not to feel guilty and was thankful that you both tried to save her."
And that was that. There were no further messages, but a tingling cold chill went down my spine because I had not told this medium anything about this incident. In fact, when the message came through, I wasn't even thinking about it.
It was a strange ending to a sad and bizarre tale, but at least afterwards, I felt closure and was at peace with myself.
