Most of the people who saw Karl Pernsley jump off the Route 95 overpass in Cranston Monday morning, and the event’s horrific aftermath, are likely to suffer physical and mental ailments for about a week, says Richard Crino, vice president of acute services at NRI Community Services Inc., a mental-health agency in Woonsocket.

It’s very important, he said, that they speak with others about what they saw.

“After you see something horrific, you have intrusive thoughts, nightmares, trouble sleeping, feelings of restlessness,” said Crino, trainer for the state disaster response team. “You may get short-tempered.”

People may see the event over and over in their minds, he said.

“Some people might drink to help them relax,” Crino said. “Some people vomit or get headaches. It’s because their stress level and hormone level went so high.”

But, Crino said, “people need to know it’s normal “and will eventually go away. They should talk about what they saw to family members, a priest, a spouse, or visit a counselor two or three times.”

Crino said it takes about seven days for the body and brain to return to normal. “While the reactions are normal, if the symptoms persist for four weeks or more and interfere with the person’s ability to function, it may be post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Up to about 15 percent of people involved in a traumatic event will suffer from long-term stress problems, he said. “Those people who saw him get run over need to get help,” Crino said, “or it will hinder their ability to function.”

Tatiana Pina