WARNING!!!!!THIS IS A RANT!!!

[Peg]

I am so MAD. This is a big, crabby rant. I'm an EMT/Fireman so when the pager goes off I have to run. Early this morning, before 7:00 a.m. I had to go to an accident. The person that called it in was in such a big hurray they called 911 but didn't even stop to see if there was anyone in the vehicle. Anyway, long story short. The kid that was driving fell asleep went into the ditch and crashed, LAST NIGHT! No one bother to stop at all, all night. Because of where I live it is cold here at night. Last night temps were in the lower 40's. This kid is lucky to be alive, due to his injuries and exposer to the weather he had to be life flighted to the hospital. I understand that people are afraid of lawsuits and all that, but, most states including this one had a good samaritian law. They won't get sued. Sorry to be so crabby, but I feel so strongly about this. Thanks for listening, now I'm done ranting.

[Louis1]

Totally understandable rant. Just know this - Some of us, I for one, would have stopped.

 

 

[ol'momma]

MY DH says he can relate. He's encoutered many such situations in his line of work And wishes to join your rant:

"I've seen that happen many times,including one situation where an off-duty DEPUTY SHERRIF from another county stopped at he accident, looked in the vehicle, dialed 9-1-1 and then...drove off and left the victom there! She had a flailed(SP?) chest and nearly died of internal bleeding. Unfortunately, well meaning by-standers removed her from the car, without the benifit of proper training and a back board. She had spinal injuries and they made the situation worse in their zeal to help. If that *@&&@@ cop had stayed on scene, he'd have been able to prevent that.

The good news is, A lot of folks reported the cop for his actions and he lost his job over it."

[sassenach]

I have helped at accidents and always wait for the EMS and police. I have also been helped by EMS at midnight more recently. In the Navy we had first aid and mass casualty training. I have monitored Ch 9 on the CB radio in the desert as part of an assistance group becuase it would take up to 90 mins at night for people to be reached where we were. The desert area had a good samaritan law too back then in California.

 

This is terrible what happened to that young man.

Around here I know the EMS and EMT's are often volunteers as are the regular firefighters. They do the very best they can and I think citizens should do no less. Even if you do not touch someone, and certainly do not move them unless their vehicle is burning, you obviously should wait, if only to talk to them and comfort them with your voice until the official medical and LEO's arrive. Even people who have gotten out of a vehicle and are on the edge of the highway maybe in shock and keeping them off the road if they get up and try to walk, is important.

This rant was worth it.

If someone was bleeding from an artery and you could put a pressure bandage on it while waiting for EMS and you know it would probably save the persons life, wouldn't you do it if you had your first aid kit handy in your car? Especially if you knew the EMS or police force responding may take over an hour to get there? Sheesh. To me its common sense, I am not worried about being sued. Indeed more and more states have the good samaritan law.

[Becca_Anne]

How sad! I hope the kid makes it. I can't understand at least calling for 911 if you pass a crashed vehicle even if you didn't stop. I would stop, hang the lawsuit risk. Even if you don't know what to do just providing the person with a comforting voice might help them hang on long enough for the EMT to arrive.

[MomM]

When I taught first aid and cpr, I would always stress, that if you aren't comfortable giving aid, CALL 911 to get help on its' way. That is an important first step in getting help to the victims.

[Momo]

That's awful!!

 

Most of the time people are falling over each other to help in emergencies like that in this area.

[Robert Z]

I suspect that would not have happened in the south.

[JCK88]

Uh...did the kid go in the ditch in the middle of the night when there were no people around? And then in the morning people thought it was an empty car? Or did hundreds of people drive by and see him there and do nothing? Something about this story doesn't add up. It sounds like at soon at it was light someone called. But if they felt it urgent enough to call, they should also have stopped and checked.

 

Hey Robert! That crack about northerners was uncalled for. I know you southerners are still fighting the Civil the War, but let it go already. I was never so glad to move from anyplace as I was to move out of the south where I was made fun of for my accent, and was even publicly harassed in a grocery store once when I was buying camping supplies and the guy in the line behind me told me to go home, back north where I came from. I actually had to disguise my accent there to feel safe. And, I was denied a job because "my accent was all wrong." THAT wouldn't happen to you up north....

 

People are no nicer in the south than they are anyplace else. I've lived all over the country and can vouch for this.

 

Probably people who didn't stop for this car in the ditch didn't know anyone was in it or they thought other people did, you know...the bystander effect. But let's not start casting aspersions on Yankees. That just isn't right.

 

But the ranter is right on. I well remember one July 4 when my cousin and I stopped to grab teenagers out of a burning car...their car was on fire and nobody but us stopped. This was in the day before cell phones. We made them move away from the car and I held back a girl who was going to go back and get her purse. Then, when the cops said they couldn't take the girls home because they lived in another state, we took the girls home with us, which was halfway to their homes and called their parents to get them, calmed everyone down, made pizza. See? notherners aren't all that bad...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Robert Z]

JCK88 I as well have been made fun of for my accent, when I have found myself in the north. I have also been passed by for a job in the north, because I sounded "hillbilly'ish" (yes, exact term used).

Personally if I was publicly embarrassed in a grocery store buying camping supply's I would have told them to stick their comments up their...... And I most likely would have been loud enough about it to make sure they where encompassed in my embarrassment.

 

I believe that maybe we have both experienced some sort of slant or discrimination in our opposite half of the united states due to our origins, and this might have something to do with the way we feel about where we are from verses where the other is from.

 

Either way, personally, I can guarantee you that if I find someone that I believe is in need and unable to help themselves I will do what is in my power to help them, I can say that it is my belief that everyone that I know and associate would do the same.