Video: Witnesses Do Nothing After 78-Year-Old Hit by Car

by Rob Walker | June 5, 2008 at 02:10 pm | 2527 views | 8 comments

Hit & Run Driver Runs Over 78-Year-Old Man

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I unfortunately see a lot of disturbing and outright disgusting stories as a journalist, especially one who spends most of his time online. But this story out of Hartford, Conn. in the States takes the cake.

Surveillance video captured images of a 78-year-old man being struck by a hit and run driver at 5pm in the middle of the town, and he laid in the street bleeding for almost 2 minutes, with dozens of people walking around. One witness walks up, takes a picture with his cell phone and walks away.

"SO INHUMANE" ran the giant headline in the local newspaper. The police chief agrees, and frankly after this choice quote from the story, so do I.

"One witness, Bryant Hayre, told the Courant he didn't feel comfortable helping Torres, who he said was bleeding and conscious."

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 Hartford, with the capital city's biggest newspaper blaring "SO INHUMANE" on the front page and the police chief lamenting: "We no longer have a moral compass."

"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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Jarrett Martineau

at 14:20 on June 5th, 2008

good stuff:

This is absolutely shocking and disheartening. How hard is it for people to think about the situation being the other way around...what if it was you that was lying in the street?

rahul

at 17:26 on June 5th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Walker, I like this story as it makes us ponder on human condition and responsibility towards one another. I keep my fingers crossed for the old man to recover soon. Your story's good stuff.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 17:55 on June 5th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Walker, unsettling to say the least. Thanks for posting this story.

jayr_patron

at 19:28 on June 5th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Walker, I like this story. That is appalling...it's high time society considers apathy as a crime to humanity.

twilight

at 20:26 on June 5th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Walker, good report and so true.

nukemdomis

at 20:33 on June 5th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Walker,

The fact that nobody even makes an attempt to even walk over to determine the victim's condition is depressing.

If a motorist was to drop a dollar bill into the street we would see those heartless people scramble like someone was dying. I'm surprised someone didn't rob the poor guy.

Be thankful that not all of us on this planet are like those witnesses shown in that video.

I like this story. It's good stuff.

LotusFlower

at 23:46 on June 5th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Walker, I like this story. It's a story that reflects the way societies across the globe seem to be going - though i still at heart believe most people to be good, caring folks at heart. It's good stuff.