A fatal accident in downtown Vineyard Haven last Tuesday left a young mother dead, and her family and friends devastated; it also has badly distressed many Islanders who witnessed the sudden tragedy.

Services were held yesterday in Melrose for Dina DeCecca, the mother of two young children who died while bicycling with her family and friends from the ferry on State Road, when she fell under an 18-wheel tractor-trailer.

Counselors from Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard attended to Mrs. DeCecca’s friends and family at the scene, but their work was not finished when the grieving family and friends left the Island, according to hospice executive director Terre Young. Some community members who had witnessed the accident could not sleep or function over the past week. “They could not stop seeing the scene,” she said.

People have reported flashbacks, nightmares and other disturbances, said Tom Bennett, director of the Island Counseling Center.

Some are suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, depression and difficulty getting reconnected.

“There are physiological effects,” he said. “The scene can become trapped in their minds and they get flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, terrible dreams.”

Mr. Bennett has organized a special, one-off help session for Thursday, July 15, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road. The gathering will be in the middle building of Community Services, downstairs in the boardroom.

Anyone shaken by their experience with the scene may attend the session to get support from professionals as well as others also suffering from witnessing the trauma.

Mr. Bennett said Thursday’s session will offer discussion, handouts and guidance about other resources available, including specialists in trauma. An EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapist is available, said Mr. Bennett, who called this one of the best treatments for post-traumatic stress.

There will be refreshments and comfort, he said.

“They can get together with other people and see they are not alone in experiencing these effects,” Mr. Bennett said, “as well as with people who can deal with trauma.”

Hospice’s bereavement counselor Colleen Seadale attended to Mrs. DeCecca’s family and friends in the aftermath of the accident, Ms. Young said. Hospice board member Vicky Hanjian and former board member and retired counselor Melinda Loberg also helped on the scene, supporting the family and dealing with logistics for them.

Hospice (508-693-0189) as well as many Island clergy members are helping community members affected by the accident.

The day after the accident, emergency services personnel, police and other first responders were debriefed by psychiatric first aid professionals at Grace Episcopal Church in Vineyard Haven, Ms. Young said.

“They witnessed a horrific accident,” she said. “They’re EMTS, they signed up for this but it affects them emotionally, physically, spiritually . . . this was to help them process that.

“There was a support team from the Cape to facilitate discussion about what had happened, what they did, what they did well and what they could learn from. They talked about the accident, about what their job is and how they did it,” she said.

“But many others in the community are getting individual support from us, from churches and others,” she said. All are welcome to attend the community meeting on Thursday, July 15.