Very sad

A Good Samaritan motorist who went to the
aid of a man who leapt to his death from a
bridge over the M1 was also killed when he
was hit by another car. Police say the driver had stopped and got
out of his car to see if he could help the
victim on the northbound carriageway near
junction 5 when he was struck by another
vehicle. Paramedics and an air ambulance rushed
to the scene and the victims were
airlifted to hospital, but both later died. Eye-witnesses told how a man had been
seen standing on a parapet of the bridge,
near the turning to Borehamwood,
Hertfordshire, before jumping to his death. Traffic accident investigators are now
examining the scene to find out exactly what
had happened. A woman travelling in a coach described the
moment the traffic came to a sudden halt. Rebecca Martin, who was travelling
northbound on a Megabus, said: "We came
to a screeching halt and it sounded like a car
accident had happened in front of us or
something. We then found out a man had
jumped from the bridge in front of us. "We were just three or four cars behind it.
Then another car stopped and a man got
out to help and was hit by another car. An air
ambulance came and took both of the men
away." She added: "It was quite worrying when we
came to a halt and it was quite close to
being a massive accident. It is really bad that
it's happened and that someone who was
trying to help got run over is just awful." Police and ambulance services said they
were called to the scene at around 10.50am
after receiving calls of "concern for the
welfare of two people." Both carriageways of the M1 between
Junction 6 at Watford and 5 for Bricket Wood
were closed when police and ambulance
staff arrived at the scene. The southbound carriageway was reopened
but the northbound carriageway is set to be
closed for "many hours to come." Rupert Gadd, from the Hertfordshire,
Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Police
Road Crash Investigation Unit told Heart
Radio: "A male is known to have jumped
from the bridge parapet onto the
carriageway. "Other motorists have stopped to assist to
his aid - unfortunately one of those people
who stopped was struck by another vehicle. "We have started an investigation into the
collision and deaths of both males. "We've handed the carriageway back to the
Highways Agency - once they have done
their final inspections it will re-open.