Off-duty cop shocked by bystanders' actions at horrific crash

Being a firefighter my self ,this just made me sick to my stomach! What's happening to people today???

DALLAS — A deadly crash on Monday left a witness with questions about the behavior of other witnesses.

An off-duty Dallas police officer was first on the scene and says he's upset because of what he saw in the car and because he was one of the only witnesses who tried to save the victims.

“That’s when I started asking the gentleman in a white shirt who was standing there amongst the crowd of all these people, ‘Is there any way…does anybody have fire extinguishers? Just get me fire extinguishers,’” said Williams. “In my peripheral vision, in addition within a very close distance, you see people filming with their cell phones,” said Williams. “That’s what you see — a person’s actually dying in front of their eyes, and rather than you making it a priority, putting yourself in the role of a first responder, just to try to help out in some way, you choose your priority to be filming somebody’s death

www.firerescue1.com...

Just wait. Soon you'll see a story where there is an accident and people record themselves stealing from the victims.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

That is pretty bad... And they are protected, the good samaritan act right? Or something of that nature.
Don't even have to CYA in a case like this.

I do have to say I don't think this can be used to say that society is heading this way, see this as an isolated case where sh**ty people were there instead of the chance of good people being there.
Regardless of what most of those comments on that page had to say.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

I think it's gotten to litigation, money, and ambulance chasing lawyers. The county, city, or state gets sued if something goes sideways during a rescue, where as the private citizen get sued personally. It's never worried me, when you see someone just after a crash in a smoking car, unconscious, still strapped in, I just have to get them out, but a lot of people worry about the lawsuit later if something goes wrong. Now using the phone for video, that is sick.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

Disgraceful behavior from the bystanders. I have to think that people have been conditioned to merely be observers.

I am not tooting my own horn but merely recalling an incident when I was about 17 when I saw a vehicle roll over on the interstate while on a trip with my mother. We didn't hesitate and immediately stopped to help this person who had major head trauma. I had no experience with this sort of thing but rather than stand their slack jawed I called 911 and help get the man out of the vehicle and recover one of his fingers. Then I proceeded to help him pick up his belongings which had been thrown all over the highway since I could not offer much medical help. This was around 99 or so and even then most people just pulled over and watched .One man even pulled over to curse and scream at the victim because he felt he was nearly side swiped when the guy lost control.

Again people are disconnected from reality because of technology and consequences are trivialized because of entertainment.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

Is that the full article? I clicked on the link.....am I missing something? I don't walk around with a fire extinguisher in my pocket or even in my vehicle. (maybe I should keep one in my car but....)

I understand how somebody would be concerned that people aren't willing to help but if they aren't properly trained there will only be more victims. I would attempt to assist if I felt I could do so without endangering myself or making things worse for the victim.

Not everybody's a hero.

Edit - (I'm using a public PC and am not allowed to watch the video.)

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: nighthawk1954

I think it's gotten to litigation, money, and ambulance chasing lawyers. The county, city, or state gets sued if something goes sideways during a rescue, where as the private citizen get sued personally. It's never worried me, when you see someone just after a crash in a smoking car, unconscious, still strapped in, I just have to get them out, but a lot of people worry about the lawsuit later if something goes wrong. Now using the phone for video, that is sick.

Most states have a "good Samaritan" law. It defends you from lawsuits if you are acting with good intent.

a reply to: minusinfinity

Some vehicles do include fire extinguishers. The fact that he called for this device means there was clearly some fire on the scene and someone was literally about to die if not handled.

Granted you cant blame everyone some people are shocked at witnessing something like this and are unsure of what to do but if you were trapped in a vehicle would you want to look up and see people with their phones 2 inches from their face while you bleed out or burn to death? Just saying.

Also a lot of people have been told not to move someone in an accident and rather than weigh the consequences they have been trained to do nothing even if greater injury is preferable to death.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

My husband could never get over the time he came upon an accident scene where the victim was decapitated, and the nearest person was actually eating a pizza! "No one tried to cover the victim and show him some respect." Is it indifference or depersonalization or what?

You make a good point though. The call to fame through publishing videos or photos seems to override any inner sense of responding appropriately and decently to what needs to be done in the situation.

originally posted by: minusinfinity

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: nighthawk1954

I think it's gotten to litigation, money, and ambulance chasing lawyers. The county, city, or state gets sued if something goes sideways during a rescue, where as the private citizen get sued personally. It's never worried me, when you see someone just after a crash in a smoking car, unconscious, still strapped in, I just have to get them out, but a lot of people worry about the lawsuit later if something goes wrong. Now using the phone for video, that is sick.

Most states have a "good Samaritan" law. It defends you from lawsuits if you are acting with good intent.

I didn't know that, but I never worried about it anyway. This is great, but I still don't trust, or like attorneys.

a reply to: aboutface

Wow!

How could you eat anything if a person was decapitated let alone a pizza!

People just don't care unless it's them.

OP, perhaps being a firefighter gives you a unique perspective. But speaking as a civilian without any training on how to deal with car fires, I can say that I would not approach a vehicle on fire. It's sad that someone was trapped in that vehicle, but there is no reason to turn single fatality incident into a multiple fatality accident. I fear that I would have been of no use in that situation.

On the other hand, I would not have been filming the incident with my cell phone; rather, I would have attempted to be useful in a less dangerous capacity.

Thanks for bringing this story to our attention, after reading the article, I realize that it may be a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher in my vehicles...something that has never crossed my mind before.

a reply to: minusinfinity
I have a fire extinguisher,tools to break windshields and a EMT first aid kit. All this items have come in handy when i came upon a accident.

originally posted by: nighthawk1954
a reply to: minusinfinity
I have a fire extinguisher,tools to break windshields and a EMT first aid kit. All this items have come in handy when i came upon a accident.

Cool but you said you're a trained firefighter.....your point?

I'm saying most people don't drive around with that sort of equipment.

This is nothing new. Here's a rundown of the "Bystander Effect"

The bystander effect occurs when the presence of others hinders an individual from intervening in an emergency situation. Social psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley popularized the concept following the infamous 1964 Kitty Genovese murder in Kew Gardens, New York. Genovese was stabbed to death outside her apartment three times, while bystanders who reportedly observed the crime did not step in to assist or call the police. Latane and Darley attributed the bystander effect to the diffusion of responsibility (onlookers are more likely to intervene if there are few or no other witnesses) and social influence (individuals in a group monitor the behavior of those around them to determine how to act). In Genovese's case, each onlooker concluded from their neighbors' inaction that their own help was not needed.

My sociology professor summed it up as "Basically, everyone assumes someone else will help."

a reply to: LeatherNLace
actually it is pretty easy.

originally posted by: nighthawk1954
a reply to: LeatherNLace
actually it is pretty easy.

(rolling my eyes.)

You are ridiculous.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

Fire extinguishers. When you need them you need them. I was once at a minor vehicle fire where fortunately an untidy individual had just enough half full spring water bottles in their car to extinguish the fire.

This may help you regain faith in humanity...
www.herefordtimes.com...

I've been first on the scene in a bad car accident. I did not hesitate. I immediately began doing my best to assist the injured. One guy had a broken neck and I grabbed a pillow to help prop his head. Another guy had a femur sticking out of his leg and was spurting blood everywhere. I took off my shirt and gave it to him and told him to put pressure on it. If someone's first instinct is to start filming, they are screwed in the brain.

originally posted by: aboutface
a reply to: nighthawk1954

My husband could never get over the time he came upon an accident scene where the victim was decapitated, and the nearest person was actually eating a pizza! "No one tried to cover the victim and show him some respect." Is it indifference or depersonalization or what?

You make a good point though. The call to fame through publishing videos or photos seems to override any inner sense of responding appropriately and decently to what needs to be done in the situation.

There's more of the interview in the video below the story. The man in the white shirt actually did help him get other fire extinguishers by stopping other drivers and asking for them. But unfortunately it was too late. The two people died in the car.

While the off-duty police officer was attempting to comfort these dying people, he had to ask one woman who was filming the scene with her cell phone to get out of the way because she was too close.

The off-duty police officer was clearly very effected by the entire experience. He was close to breaking down during much of the interview. It was hard to watch.