Hit-and-run victim left in street without help... What Have We Become?

Hit-and-run victim left in street without help... What Have We Become?

www.cnn.com

HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) -- A 78-year-old man is tossed like a rag doll by a hit-and-run driver and lies motionless on a busy city street as car after car goes by. Pedestrians gawk but appear to do nothing. One driver stops briefly but then pulls back into traffic. A man on a scooter slowly circles the victim before zipping away.

(visit the link for the full news article)

See the entire video HERE

Whats going on?
Whats happened to our society when man doesnt care for his fellow man...
Its like we're living in a movie world, where if it doesnt effect you, dont worry about it.
We live in a world where people wont stop to help change a tire, or help an old woman load her car with groceries in the parking lot.
It starts with the little things people...
lets Wake Up...

www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 5-6-2008 by Odessy]

This can be looked at as a singular symptom of an ill society and a civilization in decline. Apathetic, self absorbed and materialistic; that is the what the world has become. It is said that maturing societies pass through three stages: barbarism, civilization, decadence and then eventually, back to barbarism. Whether that is the natural path all societies will take, i cannot say (I certainly hope not), but even if it is, this is no less disturbing.

Can a societies moral integrity ever really be recovered once it has been lost? Does somebody have to hit the metaphorical reset switch? Does that even matter in the context of moral relativism and changing times? Is the only way to teach people the true value of existence to take it away? It's things like this that make me wonder if we (as in humanity and its current evolutionary and spiritual path) need periodic catastrophe to remind us what we are worth.

To paraphrase my favourite fictional Admiral, "We must ask ourselves not if we can be saved, but if we are worth saving."

Doesn't surprise me at all, considering the location it happened. A majority of New Englanders are totally consumed with "Me first, damn everybody else".

A perfect example is the Kennedy's opposing the wind farm proposed to be constructed off Nantucket, because they'll be able to see it from their compound. And Teddy dumping diesel polluted bilge water from his boat into the ocean.

Pathetic.

...and makes me feel naive for believing in the basic common decency of most people.

Apparently, we deserve the hell on earth we are creating for ourselves.

I have to agree that society in general has become jaded, callous, and generally mean spirited. Why? Look at our hero's, our leaders our entertainment. Violence, lies and greed, winning at all costs, are the accepted norm.

Personally I help people in need. I give bums money. I stop and help change tires etc. Why? I've been there. When I needed help, I got it from loving, caring beautiful strangers and loved one's.

Teach by being a good example.

People are always like this, is it fear? or not bothered to get involved? maybe they think to themselves "someone else will get to him" Well if everyone thinks like that no one is going to help lol.

Reminds me of when I got robbed, I had to fight off 2 thugs, by myself, while several people simply "watched" and did nothing to help haha. Luckily they didn't stab me or anything and ran away, with my phone thou haha. But I sure made them think twice about robbing another person.
They rob because it's "easy" Nobody stops them, nobody helps others.

[edit on 5-6-2008 by _Phoenix_]

reply to post by Orwells Ghost


CNN is making way more out of this story than it seems. It is part of the plan to get you to stop trusting your neighbors and friends. It seems to have worked well considering all the "What happened to America!?" posts on this thread.

The video clearly shows people opening cell phones to call for paramedics and a group of people clearly standing next to the victim. I see a group of people put their own lives in danger to stand in a roadway with active motor vehicle traffic. Yet all the news can do is cut the video to show the crowd for less than one second and crop the video so that you can't see what else is happening.

People helped. What more can you expect people to realistically do? They aren't doctors or nurses or paramedics. They probably already know that moving the victim will make matters worse. So all they can do is call for help and keep any other cars from running the victim over. Thats exactly what they seem to do, even with the creative CNN editing.

I love how CNN created a news story in this case instead of reporting it. A guy a motor scooter simply drove away? Are you sure? Did you try contacting the driver? Maybe he left to find a police officer to flag down or a local precinct to alert. Why do you accept CNNs psychic powers and assume that he really did just drive off laughing to himself?

Everyone in this thread saying that the people were heartless and selfish, answer one question: What would YOU have done differently if you saw that from the sidewalk?

Jon

I probably won't word this correctly but here goes.

This hit and run that no one offered to help is a sad thing but people just don't know what to do anymore. People are afraid to render aid for they might be sued.

Now I listened to the video and what the Chief had to say but what would he say if a citizen stopped a crime by using a handgun? He would be outraged!

Don't the bureaucratic police tell us not to resist or get involved? Let them handle it they say.

This video shows that their warnings are bearing fruit.

Roper

reply to post by Voxel


Nonsense.

I watched the video again on the off chance I over-reacted.

According to the report 10 cars pass by without stopping. You can clearly see three or four that fail to stop in the video.

Lots of people standing and gawking. No action. And certainly not the imperiled heroic efforts you manufacture.

The Chief of police obviously also disagrees with your view. If so many people were scrambling to call 911, why was no such call actually received???

:shk:



[edit on 5-6-2008 by loam]

Originally posted by Roper
People are afraid to render aid for they might be sued.

Bull crap.

Calling 911 does not expose you to liability.

I guess it really is true.... you simply can't fix stupid.

:shk:

reply to post by Voxel


Yeah I think your right. I wondered why they went close up where
we couldnt see what the other cars and people were doing.
And thats what paramedics always say to do, never move a body,
you might make things worse.

I saw this on FOX this morning. It is outragous for so many to behave in such an unconcerned manner. What if it were you laying there half dead?
I just don't understand where this society of ours is headed. I fear for my grand children. Are all the values we try to teach them going to become null and void from seeing such behavior, and will they become so conditioned to care only of themselves as they become adults? How has this happened?

I rarely post on ATS, but I read it a lot. This latest example of our selfishness has mad me so full of rage, that I am almost speechless, yet I am compelled to express the shame I feel as a human being, and to tell those people in Hartford Ct , SHAME ON YOU ALL!!!!!!

[edit on 6/5/2008 by PORCUPINEPIE]

reply to post by Voxel


If I had been there, I would have at least called 911, and gone out in the street to stop traffic until the Medics got there. He is lucky he didn't get hit more times.

I thought this thread was going to passed at first, but its good to see that others think this is outrageous.

I'm mad with the people that did nothing, I'm mad at the people that drove away, and I'm mad that these occurrences are happening more and more often.

Do you guys remember the last few episodes of Seinfield?
Anyway, they watch some dude get car jack and just stand by and watch.
The cop roles by and arrests them for not doing anything about it...
these are the actions that need to be taken...
punish those that do nothing.
to me, doing nothing is inhuman, just like any other punishable crime.

The Good Samaritan Act protects people who try to help from being sued etc.

Anyway, it has to start with the little things people.
Do nice things for strangers when you see them.
When you treat others nice, they treat others nice.
its like a disease, a disease that cures... one of its kind...
it starts with us...

Originally posted by loam

Originally posted by Roper
People are afraid to render aid for they might be sued.

Bull crap.

Calling 911 does not expose you to liability.

I guess it really is true.... you simply can't fix stupid.

:shk:

Well not all people have cell phones, what I was referring to was rendering physical help.

You are right loam you can't fix stupid.

Roper

reply to post by Roper


How many people do you know in Connecticut without a cell phone?



Pretty unlucky dude, I guess...

But wait, the video shows at least one person on her phone....but not to 911.

Were it not for police responding to another emergency, Torres may have been there for much longer. Although, according to police chief Roberts he is still unsure whether or not anyone actually called 911. The hit-and-run was recorded by a streetlight camera which I was unaware until now that had in Hartford, Connecticut. According to the Hartford Courant,



According to witnesses, two vehicles, one tan older model Toyota and one blue or black similar model Honda ran a red light on Main Street, turned onto Park Street, struck Torres and continued on turning onto John Street.



One witnessed claimed that he did not help Torres because, "people could see that he was conscious," and that, "I'm not skilled enough when it comes to blood flowing or I would have helped him." Others claimed that people were too afraid of police to get involved. Many of them actually claimed to have known or known of Torres, but few if any chose to help.

Originally posted by Alexi Humi
Others claimed that people were too afraid of police to get involved.

Additional evidence of how dysfunctional we are as a society. :shk:

I'll say it again. Pathetic.

Originally posted by Alexi Humi
people were too afraid of police to get involved. Many of them actually claimed to have known or known of Torres, but few if any chose to help.

that is scary that they were too afraid to contact authorities (if thats a real excuse), I wonder if anythings happened in that town previously that lead people to think this..

either way, when u dial 911 u can get just ask for an ambulance...

I'm glad newspapers and other news agencies are speaking up though.