By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Troopers are asking social media users to think twice before sharing pictures or information about tragic incidents on the roadways.
Social media has become an important part of everyday life, but in the case of serious collisions the consequences of posting photos include the possibility someone may learn of the death of a family member under less than ideal circumstances, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Trooper Will Finn last month wrote of a case in which a Randle woman arrived at the scene of her husband’s fatal collision with a semi truck on U.S. Highway 12 after reading about the wreck on Facebook.
Troopers were stunned and extremely concerned for her emotional well being, according to Finn.
“Troopers were faced with the difficult task of telling Mrs. Sume her husband had died while she looked at the wreckage of the scene,” Finn wrote.
Trooper Finn is the designated spokesperson for the state patrol in Southwest Washington.
Finn says the task of notifying family members of a loved one’s passing is already difficult and painful and under ordinary circumstances, part of their job includes working to help bring comfort to a grieving family in various ways.
“The comfort may be given by staying with a wife who is home alone until a friend or family member can be with them,” Finn writes. “The comfort may also be given by answering a specific question about the investigation.”
If a family learns of their loss via social media, those opportunities can be lost, according to Finn.
The Jan. 4 wreck [1]near Randle in which 52-year-old Jay E. Sume was killed isn’t the first time social media has made a bad situation worse, according to Finn.
Roughly a year earlier, a Vancouver woman unknowingly tweeted her own husband’s death and subsequently began asking questions through social media to confirm her suspicions, Finn writes.
Last spring also in Vancouver, a motorist trying to capture images of troopers investigating a deadly wreck for social media caused a second accident that resulted in serious injuries.
Finn acknowledges the important role social media has, in informing the public of impending dangers and offering critical information during significant events. But he asks people to think before posting, to think of the family that could be affected by the words or photos shared.
His suggestion is that tweeting or posting just bare facts is sufficient, such as “Road closed, use alternate route.”
Finn says the state patrol at times shares pictures with the public via social media. He says they don’t post photos until families have been notified.