Man hit by car and people do nothing

the bystander effect.  Everyone thinks someone else has taken care of it. Sad. 

It's almost uncomprehesible to me that you can slam your car into someone making an elligal action with your car and not even hit the breaks to slow down or stop to check it out.  You would think even just instinct would take over and you would screech to a hault without thinking.

I can give someone a break for making a mistake - but this was a consciencous decision to leave and is horendous.  They should be made an example of IMO (if caught).

Even if they are caught and punished severely by the temporal authorities, I am fairly  certain that there is a special corridor in h3ll for all these folks...

-B 

Can you refresh my Dante to which of the 7 rings that would cover?

I read about that this morning - the only reason I can think of for some people driving by and not stopping would be if they didn't realize what they were seeing.  Heaven knows I've seen some things on the side of the road that I had to take a good long look at to figure out what it was.

But pedestrians who can easily see it?  Someone stopping and looking and then leaving again?

WTF?

I even do understand how folks might be afraid of coming forward as a witness in a crime - BUT STOP AND HELP THE FREAKIN' VICTIM!! 

Even if you can't save them, think about if the situation were reversed - wouldn't you want someone to at least come up and at least sit with you and let you know you weren't alone?

I saw this on The Today Show.  People just milled around on the street, drivers slowed and looked but didn't stop.  Incredible!  Only one 911 call.  No one who were standing 10 feet away walked over to look at him or stop oncoming traffic! 

I saw a woman struck by a car in Birmingham right in front of me as we were leaving for the day.  I dropped all my bags and ran into the street to see about her.  She was bleeding but conscious but hurt pretty badly and trying to get up.  Others stopped and diverted traffic.  Another person handled the driver who did stop.  My friend who was walking out with me, used the emergency phone that was just steps from the incident to call for help.  The actions were immediate.  I never hesitated and at the moment wasn't even thinking about the traffic.  I would do it again and can't even imagine doing nothing.

I saw a man get hit by a Bus...He slid 15-20 feet to come to a halt right by my feet.  I was just starting to get ready for the worst.  Took a deep breath.  Then I hear in my ear. "I am an ER doc." Sigh of relief.  The man was lucky there was a DR. close by.

I always stop and help.  Not always a pretty sight.

Bryan 

I didn't watch the video, but that picture doesn't say it all. The article said that four 911 calls came in within a minute of the accident. Of all those people standing around, if someone was saying, "I called 911; they're on their way," then others may not have called. Also, I don't know what the man actually looked like, but if I was in that situation and it was a horrific site, there's a good chance I would have called 911, but not have approached the man. I wouldn't know what to do, and not sure I could handle it. As for the cars driving up and pulling away, you have no idea what transpired, what was said with those standing around, etc. On a ride a few weeks ago, I came across a man lying on the side of the road (I actually think he may have been dead based on how those who were already there were reacting). I approached the scene moments after the first cop arrived; there was one car pulled over on the side of the road (I am assuming the people in the car had called the police). I didn't stay; I kept on going. I did not want to see that. If no one was there, I would have stopped and called police. I am not sure if I would have stuck around if I had gotten there before the police, but learned that the cops had already been called. It was a pretty awful site and was tough to take. On a surveillance camera, I would have looked like a cold person just riding away, but I am not...

I wouldn't have passed unless I knew action was being taken.

I have stopped to help at less graphic/horiffic accidents.

Gotcha. That makes a world of difference .

Not surprising in the least.

Most people have no idea how to react in this situation, because they've never experienced it.  It's shocking, and they are shocked into inaction.

Additionally, I think there's a certain level of fear involved.  People are afraid of helping others because of the possibility of disease or lawsuit.  People are afraid of making the situation worse.  Calling 911 is sometimes the best we can hope for. 

If you take a moment and put yourself in the victim's shoes, you're just lying there on the ground after being hit and can't move....what is the very least you would want someone to do?

 Personally, if it was me, just hold my hand and tell me help is on the way.

You don't need a medical background to do that.

-ak- 

Again, it goes to the shock value of seeing it.  This is a traumatic event, and most people are not mentally prepared for it.  So they get shocked into inaction.

It's easy for us to armchair the situation.  It's different when you're actually involved in the event. 

 Yup. I was involved once...and the victim. I was concious, but couldn't see and could barely breath. So I guess you can say I'm more than mentally prepared to jump in if I saw anyone injured on the ground.

 But I take issue with the amount of bystanders that simply did nothing. That was a whole lot more than 'most of the people'.

I think the other issue is fear.  People are afraid to get involved these days, because of either lawsuits, or because they might become the target of an investigation.  It's "safer" to stand back and do nothing.  Doesn't make it right, but I think that it's a common mentality.

How many people would stop to help someone with a flat tire?  Probably not many, and I think that, on some level, it's a fear of something happening. 

Took him three passes before stopping.  Did anyone else pass you and not stop? 

I dunno how many would, but I helped a fellow cyclist. I actually gave him one of my spares. He felt bad because he didn't have any money to give me, but I wouldn't have taken it anyway. You can bet I would have done something for this guy. If nothing else, I would have made sure to stop traffic.

That's why there are Good Samaritan laws : ..."a citizen is obliged to provide first aid when necessary and is immune from prosecution if assistance given in good faith turns out to be harmful."

Prosecution, yes, but there's a fear of civil lawsuits.  Plus, laws don't protect from blood-borne diseases.

 All I'm saying is that, to be honest, we are surprised by people's lack of reaction to this situation, when perhaps there's more going on than callous indifference.

Again, it's easy to be the Monday morning quarterback in these situations.  It's easy to sit here and say, "I KNOW I'd help that person.  I'm not like those people."  Until you are in that situation you really have no idea how you're going to react.