Clarke Carlisle: Soccer Star Admits Suicide Attempt By Jumping In Front Of Truck
Three days before Christmas, soccer star Clarke Carlisle was hospitalized after being hit by a truck. On December 22 The Mail revealed that the retired soccer star and TV pundit had been critically injured when he was hit by the truck on a road near York, England. The 35-year-old married father of two had to be airlifted to hospital. Carlisle, who played for nine clubs and was a players’ union boss, suffered serious head injuries and was in a coma for a month.
Today The Independent reveals that, in a harrowing interview with The Sun, Carlisle admitted that the incident was a result of him trying to take his own life following a series of events that included a gambling spree, being informed that he was losing his job as a TV pundit, and being charged with a driving under the influence offense.
According to The Mirror, Carlisle is speaking up to encourage others stricken by depression to seek help and to thank the medical staff who saved his life after treating his appalling injuries.
Clarke, a former premier league soccer star, reveals how he found a spot on the busy A64 Leeds to York dual carriageway, picked out one of the trucks thundering towards him before calmly stepping over the barrier and jumping towards it in a desperate suicide bid.
Clarke was finally released from hospital and returned home to his family last weekend.
Clarke claims to have also contemplated drowning, falling under a bus, diving under a train or hanging himself. At one stage he found himself standing on railway tracks staring at an oncoming train. He told the Sun, “I thought, that’s not going quick enough, you’re not going to die this way and it has to be definitive, Nothing could be left to chance. At the last second I threw myself out of the way.”
Carlisle was admitted to a psychiatric unit and placed on suicide watch. He is now undergoing counseling.
On Wednesday night Clarke Carlisle’s wife, Gemma, took to social media platform Twitter to apologize to the truck driver. Mrs Carlisle said “We send our love and thoughts to the lorry driver & family. It could have been anyone and Clarke is desperately sorry that it was him.”
We send our love & thoughts to the lorry driver & family. It could have been anyone and Clarke is desperately sorry that it was him
— Gemma (@gemmacarlisle) February 4, 2015
She continued by saying “Suicide & depression is not selfish. It’s a serious illness where your world & reality are warped.”
https://twitter.com/gemmacarlisle/status/563111949358354433
Many people lent their support to Gemma Carlisle while Clarke was in hospital, and they have both been praised for speaking out about the effects of depression, especially as today sees a campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues with the hashtag #timetotalk.
It is estimated that at least one in four people will suffer from a mental illness at some point in their lifetime.
[Image via Telegraph]
