No One Stopped to Assist Serious Accident

[doitmyself]

Yesterday while my wife and I were driving down I-94 near Kalamazoo, the car in front of us left the pavement, rode up the embankment, flipped over, and ended back on the shoulder, sitting on it's driver side. I pulled over about 100 feet beyond it, told my wife to call 9-1-1, and I ran back to the smoldering car.

My adrenalin had me pumped up and I feared what I would find inside the car. Standing next to the roof, I peered through the broken out passenger window from above and found a young 20 something women sitting up and conscious. She was not bleeding but was very dazed and confused, saying she had no idea what happened.

I stayed with her, talked calmly to her, reassuring her that she was o.k. and help was coming. I worried about the steam and smoke coming from the engine, decided that I should not move her, but thought about how to get her out quickly if the car started on fire.

For the 7 minutes that it took for police to arrive, over 100 vehicles passed us and NOT A SINGLE ONE STOPPED TO ASSIST.

I am grateful that they told me that she should be o.k. and might only have a concussion. But, I am really upset that no one else had the compassion to stop and assist. This time I am very disappointed in my fellow humans.

On a different note, this is the first time I experienced the adrenaline rush that enabled me to act with zero fear. I was aware the car might tip over or catch fire, and thought ahead of possible solutions, but never once did I not act to provide help. This is how it must be when people rush in to burning buildings, etc.. Not heroism, but just gut instinct. In some ways it seemed counter intuitive to basic survival instincts, which kind of scares me in retrospect.

 

[supton]

Good for you!

I would have to caution: if all 100 cars stopped to assist, where would the emergency crews been able to park?

I'm not saying that no one else should have stopped to check, but if everyone had, you would have been in worse condition. So perhaps apathy has its place... On a more serious note, while waiting, was the wife obviously out of your car and on the phone? Most people are completely unable to help, outside of dialing 911. Better to move on than to gawk and be in the way, unless if you have the training to help. Not saying those people were being wise, but, after having a class or two in first aid, if I were to see someone dialing 911, I too would drive on--nothing I can do to help (I never did more than basic first aid, and its long lapsed).

 

[RamFan]

Unfortunately this is one of the downfalls of being human. We often think that someone else will act so we do not need to. There's been extensive research on this top in the Psychology world. Look up the Bystander Effect for some interesting literature.

Thankfully she is OK and kudos to you for helping!

 

[gathermewool]

I'm trained in CPR, but not much else more than that and the basics. If it was only you I saw stopped I'd have pulled in right behind or in front of you and stood by in case worse turned to worst. In that case, having two able-bodied men might mean the difference between life and death.

For those who cannot add any value to the situation, the best thing for them to do is keep on driving, and to call 9-1-1 when they can do so safely.

 

[Quest]

You did the right thing, ma friend, and I salute you for that.

good samaritans are hard to come by these days, esp. with a heart to help stranger in distress.


Q.

 

[dparm]

Glad to hear everything turned out okay.

As an aside, be careful in situations like that -- if the driver had a neck/spine injury, you might make it worse by moving them. Unless the car is on fire or gas is leaking, I am generally of the opinion to leave that stuff to professionals.

 

[SatinSilver]

I read about some cases where the good samaritan was killed when another car hit the disabled vehicle. All to find out that the original person in the accident was texting/and or doing something they shouldn't have been doing.

 

[Rolla07]

Good of you to stop, hopefully all BITOGER'S do the same. Obviously to be careful not to move the person considering they might be injured. You did the right thing and im sure the girl appreciates what you did for her.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

If it saw that accident occur and I could safely stop I would likely stop, but if I see just one motorist assisting with a cell phone in hand - that's enough for me and I would continue on. Route I-93 on my old commute path to Wilmington, MA has NO usable breakdown lanes as it they are (moronically) slated for a travel lanes during peak hours since a good percentage of so-called "drivers" cant figure out how to move traffic quickly and efficiently from NH border to Boston. I would not want to have a flat - i changed my path through Anover township to avoid this accident just in wait to ambush the ususpecting motorist.
This girl the OP assisited was *very* lucky; a girl up here was texting, went out of her lane, swerved, hit the guardrail, was thrown from her car onto the highway and then run over by TWO tractor trailers in the middle of RT 495-N in Haverhill, Ma. A terrible trend. Stupid phones. I won't own one or a GARMEN DISTRACTOR.

 

[Reg# 43897]

This sort of thing can be ahrd call sometimes. We (I guess that I can only speak for myself, but I digress) all feel the need to help somebody in obvious distress but we have to be wary of exposing ourselves to danger. As long as you are able to actually BRING something to their aid, re-think it, call the authorities & either monitor from a safe distance or high-tail it outta there. Just about everybody wants to help but not everybody CAN help. A lot of people just get in the dang way. And some people are simply horrible individuals who couldn't care less.

I have a knife on me at all times. I have flares & electronic strobes in my truck. I have a 1st aid kit. I have a high-vis vest. I have leather gloves. I also have a pile of 1st-responder training. I know that I can bring something to scene that could be of value. I also know that there are some scenes where secondary events are going to happen (secondary pile-ups, fires, toxic gasses/fumes, etc.) that out-weigh my involvement. In other words, if I get into it, I'll probably end up killed, too. I also know that I do not know everything & what I judge to be safe enough might not be. I am willing to take those risks. Why? Because somebody has to. Because that person is somebody's loved one. Because they need me to help them because they aren't there to do it.

Driving down the road is probably the single greatest risk that people take each & every day. People should give it more respect.

I could go on but you get the point. Kudos to the OP for helping her. Yeah, you're not a hero - that foolishness is for the movies. You did what you could because you were able to; you made the choice to act. You "maintained the right" (google it) & have my respect.

John.

 

[Cutehumor]

ever find out what happened? was she on her cell phone texting?

 

[VinceF]

Not trying to justify the inaction of others, but sometimes when passing an accident later there isn't the urge that you displayed having seen it happen, and others seeing you there might have thought that someone did stop to help, and by time they realized the situation were well passed it, and difficult to stop or come back to it. I have stopped when I saw an incident, even when seeing a guy get out to assist with a crate full of gear he might need. There was a car on the shoulder with a guy inside, saying his leg was stuck. I asked the guy with the gear what he wanted me to do, and he said to go to the nearest phone and call for help. This was on an interstate through the city and before cell phones. I did at the nearest exit. Being a hassle to get back to the site, and knowing someone who looked like they knew what they were doing I continued on. Another time I came upon an accident on the same road, and by time I realized what had happened, I was passed it and hard to get involved.

 

[rjundi]

Some weird phenomena happens when there are a lot of people watching but doing nothing.

It happened in college in the courtyard of our dorm. A couple fighting loudly enough that people watched from windows then turned a bit violent and no one ran to her aid. She got stabbed but thankfully nothing extremely serious. Finally someone ran out as the girl did pass out.

This was a different time though when cell phones were exotic and having a phone in room was only maybe 50% of people.

I wonder if people now assume everyone else has a phone help already called or something?

 

[larryinnewyork]

A persons 'true' character is shown when:
1) He reacts without thinking (or planning ahead).
2) He does a good deed when no one is watching.

 

[FL_Rob]

I don't comment much anymore on bitog ,I just read the boards.

On this topic though, I do feel the need to remind everyone to have a fire extinguisher on-board.

There can be nothing more horrifying than someone burning to death.

All of us can, and should carry at least a cheap extinguisher.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
I am grateful that they told me that she should be o.k. and might only have a concussion. But, I am really upset that no one else had the compassion to stop and assist. This time I am very disappointed in my fellow humans.

Congratulations are in order, and a big thank you. I guess you certainly live up to your nick!

FL_Rob's suggestion of a fire extinguisher is well taken. A flaming wreck with someone trapped inside is not pleasant, I assure you.

 

[JHZR2]

Good for you.

IME, when folks saw that there was someone there, they figured another wasnt needed.

I know this because once my wife and I were driving somewhere and the fuel pump went out. Stuck. Was fiddling for a while with the hood up, sitting in the car with the hood in the same position, etc.

At least four people that I remember stopped to see if we needed help, or how they could help. Granted this was a breakdown and not an accident, but still, many did stop, but only one at a time when they saw we were stuck alone. This was in "mean" NJ.

 

[EricF]

I used to pull over more often in the past, but back then I didn't have a 2yr old toddler with me. During my commute times, there are hoards of cars sitting around, so I've only pulled aside one time in the last few years. There's people who want to try and help, others who pull over to try and be an extra body to help, and the people who come to help who simply want to be nosy or take pictures.

When my son's with me, in good conscience I can't pull over to help, I can pull over, stay in the car and call 911, but I won't leave the car with him in there. I have to protect him no matter what. It pains me to even say it, but I'm his protector, he needs me to keep him safe. Someone else will unfortunately have to wait while I dial 911. Fortunately, I haven't had to deal with that yet!

 

[Clevy]

I stopped at an accident. Flipped car,kids screaming,people stopped and no one doing anything.
I got to the car and started pulling people out. My arms needed stitches but I've found crazy glue is better,less scarring.
Once I got in there people followed my lead but I couldn't believe no one was doing anything.
Cops got there and I'm very well known to them. I had a suspended licence and no insurance. This happened in between collingwood and wasaga beach on hwy 26. They told me to get lost and they didn't see me.
So I hopped in my truck and drove home,crazy glued my wounds.
3 days later I got pulled over because the cops knew what I was now driving and whammo,6 months. At least it was in the winter

 

[bullwinkle]

I had this happen to me 2 weeks ago-guy in a Taurus wagon drove straight across the 2-lane US highway I was on, straight into a ditch, hit a concrete culvert so hard that all the doors were shoved over each other, the battery disconnected itself & FLEW OUT OF THE CAR! I stopped & called 911 & stayed there with the unconscious driver & waited until they cut the roof off & got the guy out. It's amazing how many people would just keep on going-a sad statement on our society.