Lorain/Elyria, OH
Passers-by ignore elderly man injured in hit-and-run
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HARTFORD, Conn. (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 do nothing. One driver stops briefly but then pulls back into traffic. A man on a scooter slowly circles the victim before zipping away.
The chilling scene — captured on video by a streetlight surveillance camera — has touched off a round of soul-searching in
“We have no regard for each other,” said Chief Daryl Roberts, who released the video this week in hopes of making an arrest in the daylight accident last Friday that left Angel Arce Torres in critical condition.
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Watch the video (Windows Media Player required) |
| Hit and run video |
The hit-and-run took place about 5:45 p.m. in a working-class neighborhood close to downtown in this city of 125,000.
In the video, Torres walks in the two-way street just blocks from the state Capitol after buying milk at a grocery. A tan
Several cars pass Torres as a few people stare from the sidewalk. Some approach Torres, but most stay put until a police cruiser responding to an unrelated call arrives on the scene after about a minute and a half.
The police chief told The Hartford Courant that he was unsure whether anyone called 911.
“Like a dog they left him there,” said a disgusted Jose Cordero, 37, who was with friends Thursday not far from where Torres was struck. Robert Luna, who works at a store nearby, said: “Nobody did nothing.”
One witness, Bryant Hayre, told the Courant he didn’t feel comfortable helping Torres, who he said was bleeding and conscious.
The accident — and bystanders’ callousness — dominated morning radio talk shows.
“It was one of the most despicable things I’ve seen by one human being to another,” the Rev. Henry Brown, a community activist, said in an interview. “I don’t understand the mind-set anymore. It’s kind of mind-boggling. We’re supposed to help each other. You see somebody fall, you want to offer a helping hand.”
The victim’s son, Angel Arce, begged the public for help in finding the driver. “My father is fighting for his life,” he said.
The hit-and-run is the second violent crime to shock
“There was a time they would have helped that man across the street. Now they mug and assault him,” police chief said. “Anything goes.”
Councilman Matthew Ritter said police can do only so much.
“The citizens are the city,” he said. “Everybody has a part to play. Call 911 and reach out.”
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On the Net: http://www.hartford.gov/Police/
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This is why our world is in such trouble. Humanity is lost in this world, and for those who still have it, and TRY and teach our children humanity we are out numbered.
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We live in a day and age where dangerous gangs of illegal immigrants with very strong ties to third world crap hole countries, are terrorizing our citizens.
Oh, but we have to fight the war on terror where thousands are dying on both sides, in a place that has nothing to do with the well being of OUR citizens, and had nothing to do with 9-11!
Yet our president is taking money from the police who protect us HERE, so that we can fight this unwinable war, while ignoring the terrorism that is taking place on our streets.
I’m not condoning people not wanting to get involved when they see someone injured on the street. But for all they know, with the speeding cars and a body in the street, that incident could have been gang related. And they are well aware of the fact that if you interfere in gang activities, you too could be a victim.
But who’s bitching when our government stands idly by, as people are terrorized on US SOIL?!
Yeah, right… blame the citizens who have to live in terror for not wanting to stick their head up and become a target.
Besides, the cops were there in 90 seconds after the guy was hit, according to the article. If it would have taken longer, that “somebody else will deal with it” mentality may have faded into action on the part of the onlookers.
Anyway, I don’t see this as being the fault of our citizens, it’s the fault of our government that forces some to live their lives in fear.
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As the mother of a disabled child, I see less compassion every single day. It’s sad we live in a world that would allow an injured man to be ignored. My heart aches to hear this. Sadly, we cannot blame the children of today for this but their parents… after all we teach our children how to react to people and situations. Perhaps some people need a lesson by walking in another person’s shoes.
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Confused
I could not agree with you more. I also have a child with disabilities, (2 of them) and the compassion has left this world. Getting help in this world, you would have better luck finding Elvis!
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to many latch key kids…. this is what happens….
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I READ THIS ARTICLE AND IT ABSOLUTELY BREAKS MY HEART AND SHOCKS ME. I GUESS THE CITIZENS AND THE DRIVERS WHO WAS RIGHT THERE HAVE NO COMPASSION FOR OTHERS AND LIFE. THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES. ESPECIALLY THAT THEY ARE ON CAMERA. AND YES, I AM ABOUT TO STEREOTYPE - MYSELF, A MOTHER OF TWO AND A MINIVAN DRIVER, WAS SURPRISED AND PRETTY MUCH DISGUSTED WATCHING THE VIDEO AND SAW THE MINIVAN THAT WAS HEADING TOWARD THE GENTLEMAN, DO A 3 POINT TURN AND GO THE OTHER WAY. THE WAY I SEE IT, IF I SAW SOMEONE, A HUMAN BEING, WHO IS MOST LIKELY A GRANDFATHER, FATHER, UNCLE, BROTHER, HUSBAND, NEIGHBOR, AND A FRIEND, I WOULD STOP AND HELP THEM BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN MY GRANDFATHER, FATHER, UNCLE, BROTHER, HUSBAND, NEIGHBOR, OR A FRIEND. WHAT IS IT WITH PEOPLE NOW A DAYS. EVERYBODY WANTS TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SOCIETY BUT WILL NOT GET OFF THEIR @$$ TO HELP OTHERS AND TO MAKE IT SAFER. YOU WOULD RATHER COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW BAD IT IS. THEN DO SOMETHING. I KNOW YOU CAN’T DO IT ALONE BUT IF YOU TRY, OTHERS WILL JOIN. TO REPLY TO A PREVIOUS COMMENT, THIS IS A 78 YEAR OLD MAN WHO JUST LEFT THE STORE FROM BUYING MILK.. HOW IS IT GANG RELATED? AND IF YOU NOTICE, HE LOOKED BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING THE STREET. THE TWO IDIOTS THAT WENT INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE, NEED THEIR LICENSE TAKEN AWAY AND RAN OVER BY THE FAMILY MEMBERS THEN LOCKED UP. THE GOVERNMENT, ILLEGALS, GANGS, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS SAD SITUATION. AND IT IS THE CITIZENS FAULT FOR NOT TAKING ACTION. THERE IS CRIME AND GANGS EVERYWHERE BUT WILL NOT STOP ME FROM HELPING OUT ANOTHER CITIZEN OR EVEN ILLEGAL CITIZEN. THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS AND ALL OF US ARE GOD’S CHILDREN EVEN THOUGH NOT ALL ACT THAT WAY. MY PRAYERS GO OUT TO MR. TORRES AND HIS FAMILY. OH, ONE MORE THING, AS IT SAYS IN THE ARTICLE, THE POLICE OFFICER “JUST HAPPENED” TO ARRIVE UPON THE SCENE DUE TO AN UNRELATED CALL.
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Nothing to say here for once, but to shake my head in disbelief.
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