Hit and Run left on the side of the road

[meimei42]

Chief: 'We No Longer Have Moral Compass'
Video Captures Bystanders Gawking At Hit-And-Run Victim

POSTED: 5:37 pm EDT June 4, 2008
UPDATED: 1:19 pm EDT June 5, 2008

Source: http://www.wfsb.com/news/16497579/detail.html


HARTFORD, Conn. -- Hartford Police Chief Daryl Roberts questioned the city's "moral compass" a week after bystanders and drivers maneuvered around the motionless body of 78-year-old victim of a hit-and-run crash.

Angel Torres was crossing Park Street after purchasing milk from a local grocery store on Friday evening when he was struck. Police said Torres was hit by a dark Honda that was chasing a tan Toyota.

Chief Roberts Responds To Hit-And-Run

Both vehicles then fled the scene, leaving Torres lying in the roadway's lane of oncoming traffic.

Surveillance video captured the crash and the startling response of witnesses.

The video captures Torres being thrown like a rag-doll by the car, which crossed the double yellow line before hitting Torres.

Roberts said that perhaps the most shocking part of the crime is the response it garnered from bystanders.

Nearly a dozen cars are seen driving around Torres' lifeless body in the minute and 30-second long video, including one that stops and turns around as it approaches him.

"No one came to his aid," Roberts said. "There were actually people looking at him … and driving away."

Numerous pedestrian bystanders are seen gawking at the scene, but doing nothing.

"At the end of the day we've got to look at ourselves and understand that our moral values have now changed," Roberts said. "We have no regard for each other."

Police said Torres was found lying in the road by an officer responding to an unrelated call. He was transported to Hartford Hospital and is paralyzed from the neck down. He remained in critical condition on Thursday.

Police released the video on Wednesday in hopes that it will help lead to an arrest.

"My father is fighting for his life," said Torres' son, Angel Arce. "I would like the public right now to help us in identifying the car and the person that did this."

Roberts said the hit-and-run is the latest in a string of incidents that show the callousness of the city.

On Monday, former Deputy Mayor Nicholas Carbone, 71, was beaten and robbed while walking to breakfast. He remains in critical condition.

"There was a time they would have helped that man across the street. Now they mug and assault him," Roberts said. "That's not a police problem. We no longer have a moral compass. Anything goes."

Anyone with information regarding the crash is urged to contact the Hartford Police Department by dialing 860-757-4225.


I don't even know what to say to that! How could people not stop and at least call the police. The man was alive! They just left him there on the side of the road!

Video here: http://www.wfsb.com/video/16510832/index.html

Dude, some chick walks up to his body which in in the middle of the road, looks at him and then walks off like its nothing. Why didn't someone check to even see if he was alive! Call the cops! People are freaking sick.

[Nanika]

disgusting.....

[Topanga]

Wow. I suppose one of the witnesses called 911. I wonder why they didn't try to stop traffic and check on the guy? Maybe they were afraid they'd get hit too? I know from Red Cross training you're not suppose to put yourself in harms way when going to the aid of somebody but I can't help but think all it would have taken to secure the area would have been one or two caring human beings to wave down traffic. It's hard to find any kind of logical reason how something like that could happen.

[meimei42]

The article mentioned a police officer in the area found the body but not because anyone called it in. It sounds like no one even called 911. Maybe they were all expecting someone else to do it, I don't know.

[Topanga]

Originally Posted by meimei42

The article mentioned a police officer in the area found the body but not because anyone called it in. It sounds like no one even called 911. Maybe they were all expecting someone else to do it, I don't know.

Gah!!! People can be so awful!!

[meimei42]

Seriously. I just can hardly believe it.

If someone hits me with a car, please just and make sure I'm alive people!!

[adiafaith]

Oh I saw this on the news. They were saying people had bystander syndrome or something where when there's a crowd of people standing around people kinda tend to determine how to react based on other people's reactions. I gotta admit, I've seen a lot of accidents and bad stuff happen in NY and I'm not so sure I would've gone over and touched or moved the guy either. I mean, it might not have been safe to move him because if he broke something, you'd just make it worse. Knowing me I would've gone over to see if he was okay and called the police. But then again, if I just walked up (having not seen the accident) I'm not sure what I would've thought. I expected the people that actually saw the accident to react more - not necessarily the ones that passed by after the fact 'cause they have no clue as to what happened. This isn't shocking to me though...when I was in this bad car accident four years ago, nobody pulled me out of my car. And when I was teenager I fainted a number of times in the street and subway and people literally stepped over me. I remember one time when I came to a woman was kneeling down over me telling me she'd called for an ambulance and she didn't know how long I'd been on the ground 'cause people were walking right by me.

[meimei42]

Its just so sad still. That no one who saw it checked to see if he was even alive. It doesn't sound like anyone even called the cops. I wouldn't have moved him I dont think, because you don't really know, but then again leaving him in the middle of the street is just leaving him open to get run over again.

At the very least someone should have called the police. A couple months ago I was driving on the freeway and a car on the other side completely flipped over on its side. I was going the other way, but you could see like four cars immdiately pull over to help that person out.

[adiafaith]

No, someone called the cops. They said on the news that there were like four 911 calls made about it. I just feel like the people that saw the accident should've done more - they should've gone over to see if the guy was breathing and maybe tried to stop the traffic. A group of people working together to stop the traffic would've been effective practically anywhere.

But for the people that came by after the fact...I don't expect much.

[meimei42]

Oh okay, they didn't mention anything in the article. It made it sound like a cop came upon it on accident or something.

I agree with you though. They could have done SOMETHING, not just leave that guy in the middle of the street. Its not like you could mistake him for someone who just fell asleep in the road or something.