Hit-and-run victim left in street without help [Video]

[Aishiteru]

By The Associated Press HARTFORD, Conn. - City police on Friday released recording of two emergency calls made shortly after a 78-year-old man was struck by a car and then left alone in the street by passing motorists and pedestrians.

The tapes were released two days after police Chief Daryl Roberts publicized a surveillance video of a car striking Angel Arce Torres and leaving him paralyzed in the busy street. The video showed cars zooming past and bystanders staring at Torres from the sidewalk.

No one in the video stepped forward to help Torres, prompting Roberts to declare, "We no longer have a moral compass." City officials later acknowledged that police received four calls to the emergency dispatcher immediately after the accident. They released portions of two calls on Friday.

"Send an ambulance quick, quick, quick, he's bleeding hard," one man implores an emergency operator.

Torres, a retired forklift operator, was struck in the two-way street after buying milk at a grocery. He was hospitalized Friday in critical condition.

The video shows two cars veering across the center line and one of the cars striking Torres. Both cars then dart down a side street.

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell on Friday offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the motorists involved in the accident.

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/6044/hitandrun205x117nx3.jpg


http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080606/world/ignored_hit_and_run



The video (warning, it's pretty disturbing): http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=8195545&ch=2165253
More info (search results): http://ca.search.yahoo.com/search?cs=bz&fr=fp-today&p=Angel+Arce+Torres

It was hard to watch the video when the old guy got hit. It was even worse just watching everyone around him. It's truly ... scary. :-(

[Kokain]

There's a psychological effect, I forget what it's called, but it basically brings about the result that the more people are present at the scene of an accident, the less likely any individual person is going to help.

For some reason yahoo video is shit and I can't watch it, but I found the same thing on youtube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Wl5qRq0hgE

[Nae'blis]

In Hartford?! what the hell, I never would have guessed.

[Light Artist]

That's terrible. Somebody should have dialed an ambulance immediately, not wait for the fucking police to show up and save the day. It's moments such as these when I question my faith in humanity.

[Doc. Q]

Black men aint no call no po-lice, no sawh.

[MagicalSkyDaddy]

I heard about this, it completely appalled me.

I understand the psychological effect though. There were lots of people there, and most were probably thinking one of these:

"Somebody else will go help him."

"Someone probably already called an ambulance."

"I couldn't help him if I tried."

"I'm late, I'm late for a very important date!"

But seriously, even I, a 14 year old child, know first aid that may have been able to help him. Hell, even if I didn't I have enough common sense to call 911 (which I would do anyway, after I had done whatever I could).

By the way, the best thing to shout in situations like that isn't "help" but "fire." It gets people's attention better, unfortunately.

[Deamiel]

The guy's 78. He's lived passed his expected age. This is just nature taking its course.

Nothing to see people.

[NotoriousAndrew]

OMG, me and my friends were just talking about "what would you do if you hit someone?" :iik

[MagicalSkyDaddy]

The guy's 78. He's lived passed his expected age. This is just nature taking its course.

Nothing to see people.

So you're saying that because he's lived past the average, he no longer deserves to be helped when his life is in danger? He was hit by a car, it isn't like he dropped dead of a heart attack in the middle of the street.

Actually, did he die? I'm not quite clear on that.

[Deamiel]

So you're saying that because he's lived past the average, he no longer deserves to be helped when his life is in danger? He was hit by a car, it isn't like he dropped dead of a heart attack in the middle of the street.

Actually, did he die? I'm not quite clear on that.

He obviously needs help, but there's no need to make a big deal out of it.

Besides, the guy was jaywalking in the middle of the street. He kind of deserved it.

[Cardboard Jewsuke]

Ummm.. honestly, while that is messed up somewhat, being hit like that could easily sever or twist your spine, and some person who means good could accidentally kill the man by simply moving him.

Granted, they should have been stopping traffic on the street and the like while they wait for paramedics to arrive. But unless someone there had some medical training, trying to help someone in that bad of an accident could very well make the problem alot worse.

[MagicalSkyDaddy]

He obviously needs help, but there's no need to make a big deal out of it.

Besides, the guy was jaywalking in the middle of the street. He kind of deserved it.

That makes bunches of sense. Would you want people to just walk around you as your mangled body lay bleeding in the street, would you want to be given attention equivalent to that of roadkill?

Don't even answer that. I'd rather not be troubled by any psychological issues it may shed light upon.

:P

[T4R0K]

Once a person in the metro in Paris fell down some stairs. We were like 5 people to try to help her or see if she was OK. But since we were too many for a minor situation after assessement (she didn't break anything and was just very scared), I and 2 other people left when I saw she was being taken care of already. It doesn't hurt to be more to help, it's just that if you're not necessary anymore, you can leave guilt free.

I also once collapsed at a train station. 2-3 people immediatly helped me : one stayed near me as I regained consciousness and the other went to get the station personnel and call an ambulance.

It may look cold that many pass by, but if the victim is already taken care of by at least 1-2 people, all other people would be in the way.

But here, I would have at least gone to the person and try to make clear for the vehicles that something serious was happening (ATTENTION : moving carelessly a wounded person from the road could kill them). The poor man was all alone. Don't just call help, go to the person in distress too.

[Razgriez]

You touch that man and fuck up he can sue your ass for all your worth. Id leave him bleeding to death simply for that reason.

Id at least call 911 though.

Those speeding cars were fricken ridiculous though. God damn Ive never seen such wreckless driving.

[T4R0K]

You touch that man and fuck up he can sue your ass for all your worth. Id leave him bleeding to death simply for that reason.

Ah ? I... I guess I trust humans too much if that's the case...

[impersonal]

That's terrible. Somebody should have dialed an ambulance immediately, not wait for the fucking police to show up and save the day. It's moments such as these when I question my faith in humanity.

They did it. Read the goddamn article.

[maximilyan]

I wasnt even going to bother watching the video until i saw the disclaimer. :laugh im a sick individual. Anyway i wasnt able to watch it in the end sinze yahoo blows and has that zone restriction thing going.

this just goes to show you how humans are becoming.

[Amaretti]

The bystander effect is an odd one...

It's not that people don't care, but that when no one else acts, it's a pretty strong emotional imperative to also remain inactive. In large groups, everyone just assumes someone else is taking responsibility. It's more proof that humans are hopeless sheep than apathetic bastards.

[impersonal]

Frankly, that video isn't shocking at all. The bystanders look concerned, they called an ambulance, they went near him although apparantly they couldn't think of anything to help him right here and there. They should have done more, alright. But the article makes it sound like they don't give a fuck, which is just not true.

[Ketchup]

Calling 911 was the right thing to do. Honestly, what were the bystanders supposed to do besides calling 911? Move him around causing even more injuries?

[Megatonton]

Hmm... the 'Better-Not-Get-Sued' mentality proves too strong here.

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080606/world/ignored_hit_and_run



The video (warning, it's pretty disturbing): http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=8195545&ch=2165253
More info (search results): http://ca.search.yahoo.com/search?cs=bz&fr=fp-today&p=Angel+Arce+Torres

It was hard to watch the video when the old guy got hit. It was even worse just watching everyone around him. It's truly ... scary. :-(

Yeah, they were talking about this on the radio Friday.

And people wonder why I don't want kids.

[Byakkö]

Unfortuantely, that's a very common human response. Each person thinks someone else will help. It's a cruel world.

[Kunoichi gal]

I saw that on the news, I was thinking, "crap, there are people walking across the street, NOT DOING ANYTHING!"

[♠Mr.Nibbles♠]

This was playing all over MSNBC over and over again.

And even today they are still playing the video in hopes that someone sees the cars in the video to catch the bastards

[bebopbountyhead]

I don't think that it's the fact that people didn't help him up that we should be focused on. I think that this video is absolutely suspicious. Am I the only person who sees how far the car that hits him deviates from its side of the road in order to do such? And am I the only one who sees that it's not just one, but two cars that take the same course in order to hit him? What the fuck? It just plain isn't addressed. The people that hit him could have been bangers, you idiots. I mean, add it up: two cars swerve to hit an old man+bad neighborhood+chance of hurting the guy more by moving him= bad idea to move him. Somebody did this shit on purpose.