Widower, 83, died after 'deliberately' coming in front of bus and nearly also killed disabled son after his wife's death
HARTLEPOOL, ENGLAND: An inquest has been told that an 83-year-old man not just took his life but also tried to kill his disabled son earlier this year. Thomas Daley was a widower, who came in front of a bus on March 21 at around 8.10 am at Catcote Road in Hartlepool. He also tried to murder his 55-year-old son, who has special needs and has sight problems.
Daley’s wife reportedly died a few years ago and since then Daley became the sole carer of their son. At first, the March 21 incident came across as a dreadful accident but after checking the surveillance footage of that day, it was found that it was a suicide as well as a murder attempt, The Daily Mail reported.
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A statement from Cleveland Police stated that if Daley had escaped the death that day, he would have been charged and probed for the attempted murder of his son, who survived but was left with an injury to his thigh. On the day of the incident, emergency crews, including the Great North Air Ambulance, rushed to the place to save the pair’s lives.
Earlier, it was reported that people traveling in the number 36 bus, which had school children as passengers, also ran “to help a man screaming in pain before realizing there was a second person under the bus.” In the tragic episode, the eldelry man lost his life after suffering wounds in the chest and pelvic area.
Danley’s other son, who shares his father’s first name, in a statement described his family’s equation with each other and claimed that they were a close-knit family. He also said that his father was in a great mood before taking the decision to end his life as he had won $101.29 (£88) on a bet. Besides, he mentioned that Thomas Senior had gone shopping for food a day before his death.
“He said his parents had always looked after their disabled son, who could only be left at home for very short periods and could not safely go out on his own,” The Daily Mail report noted, before citing Thomas Jr, who defined his father as “a proud man, he would never complain or ask for help. He would just get on and do things for himself. He kept the house lovely and clean.”
The man explained that his father was loved by everyone in the family before noting that he knew the disabled son would be taken care by other family members too “but it wasn't something we talked about, we are all so close, we would do it automatically.” Thomas also expressed his shock over the incident that happened earlier this year. He asserted that he “can't imagine my dad wanting to harm himself or bring any harm to” any of his children.
Meanwhile, the bus driver, Paul Johnson, said he tried hard to not hit the two men but it was too late. Coroner Clare Bailey in her report stated, “It was a deliberate attempt not only to take his own life, but that of his son,” as she declared a ruling of suicide.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).