[Lups]

Originally Posted by wdb

Many many moons ago I was driving through a small borough on my way somewhere. Early evening, just after sunset. Traffic moves at about 35MPH in the area. There was a guy on the sidewalk, walking oddly, waving his arms, talking, yelling. Pretty obviously he had some screws loose.

On my way back from somewhere, maybe 20 minutes later, I went back through the same area. The loony guy stepped off the curb directly into the path of the car in front of me; the driver had literally zero chance to slow down. Loony man bounced up onto the hood and his head struck the windshield on the driver's side. The car stopped and loony guy fell onto the street.

I hung around to report what I saw.

The driver of that car was a youngish father with two boys in the back seat of the car. He was apoplectic, unconsolable. Crying, heaving, curled up on the curb, the entire time I was there. Traumatized.

I'm so sorry you had to witness that but I hope your recollection of what happened helped the driver. Even given the statistics about accidents being well known to all drivers, it just seems like when something so daily, so normal as driving makes us hurt an other even when we can't be blamed for it, it fucks with our head badly.

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by Lups

Yesterday my dog and I was on a badly light path when a car came through a crossroad. The driver actually slowed down when he was nearing the x but a runner managed to go and run under him without a reflector and while wearing black clothes that can't be actually seen through a windshield in the rain.

My idiot dog and I ran to them, I checked up on the victim first, he had a sprained ankle and he kept on going about him being an idiot for assuming that when he sees someone, he also could be seen.

The driver was an other story. He was absolutely in pieces for hurting an other human. He kept on crying. He kept on shouting he was so, so sorry. He even told me he had a beer 4 hours prior with his lunch so as a witness I'd know alcohol was involved.

Again, the runner had a rolled ankle. The driver was in tears and in a state of shock. I actually called our emergency service and told them I witnessed an accident but right now, the person who was hit is okay, but the driver needs medical attention for shock.

When the cops and the ambulance showed up, he said to me "my life is over. I'll hang myself."

The cops took the runner to the er. The driver and the ambulance crew stayed there with me, until the medical professionals understood how shook up he was. Then I walked home.

The guy did nothing wrong, the cops, the paramedics, me and the runner he hit thought so. Hurting a person was still so horrible to him that hanging himself seemed like a sane option.

I told you all this just to make sure you all know that people who experience something traumatic doing a daily thing like driving, act and talk insane. Please don't let them be without help.

I have no idea how the guy feels about the accident today. I do know that the iced up ankle, the stupid runner is okay. Just remember that people who are panicking are idiots.

Cool story, bro Thanks, Anna

[Captain Blood]

Originally Posted by Ivan Ivanov

In such cases, it helps to slap the driver's cheeks. And you there are tests by a psychiatrist before receiving a driver's license?

Like in the movie "Airplane"? Where all the passengers line up to slap the hysterical lady, with boxing gloves, tire irons, and a revolver?

LUPS, I don't think I would want the driver in my foxhole if the shit hit the fan, if you know what I mean.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by Captain Blood

Like in the movie "Airplane"? Where all the passengers line up to slap the hysterical lady.

surely you can't be serious

[Captain Blood]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

surely you can't be serious

ooohhhhh, don't go there.

I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.

Between Airplane, Star Wars IV, and Star Trek II, I can quote almost any line. Yes....I am a nerd. I need a vector, Victor!

[Yapakanichi]

THIS! This is the thing about trauma. No one can tell another person that they don't have the right to feel the way they do.

What might come easy to some people to get over, can be a mountain and a struggle for someone else. Don't assume because there is no physical injury that a person is okay. The runner had a rolled ankle, but the driver just thought he killed someone possibly.

People need to stop assuming that what another person is going through is easy because they can handle the situation differently.

EDIT: It's a strong disconnect in the brain when someone says "I'll just kill myself". I personally don't take that lightly.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by Captain Blood

ooohhhhh, don't go there.

have you ever seen a grown man naked?

[Captain Blood]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

have you ever seen a grown man naked?

Do you like movies about Gladiators, Jimmy?

[Lups]

Originally Posted by Yapakanichi

THIS! This is the thing about trauma. No one can tell another person that they don't have the right to feel the way they do.

What might come easy to some people to get over, can be a mountain and a struggle for someone else. Don't assume because there is no physical injury that a person is okay. The runner had a rolled ankle, but the driver just thought he killed someone possibly.

People need to stop assuming that what another person is going through is easy because they can handle the situation differently.

EDIT: It's a strong disconnect in the brain when someone says "I'll just kill myself". I personally don't take that lightly.

This was a useful read, thank you.

[No one]

Originally Posted by Dang3r

Hard to say what I had done after hitting a pedestrian under such circumstances...maybe I had kicked him the other ankle out, that his dumbness hurts double?

I would definitely distinguish between hurting someone and someone hurting itself while involving you into a trouble (setting you up for a legal punishment you did not deserve).

I would consider protecting my license by hurting that "victim" by hand and claiming the car was never involved ("He damaged my car and tried to cause damage to my holy body!").

In the original case depicted the pedestrian admitted his fault (to the cops as well, I hope) and it was very nice of him!

Originally Posted by Ivan Ivanov

In such cases, it helps to slap the driver's cheeks.

Knocking the driver unconscious should work even better.

Originally Posted by Lups

The funniest thing about it all is that I had no leash for my stupid dog who kept climbing in the police vehicle to get out of the rain. The cops were not amused.

Isn't it mandatory to have the dog leashed in a public place?

Originally Posted by wdb

I hung around to report what I saw.

This was very correct! You assisted in saving the driver from (really deep?) legal shit he could find himself in.

Originally Posted by wdb

The driver of that car was a youngish father with two boys in the back seat of the car. He was apoplectic, unconsolable. Crying, heaving, curled up on the curb, the entire time I was there. Traumatized.

How did the boys react? "Never mind, he's always like this."? A man should not be permitted becoming a father until he's proved (got certified? ) as a mature one. (It's been like this in some communities, they say. I know this would lead to a demographic collapse. )

[upstatedoc]

no one is on a roll

[Boosted12a]

Sounds like the reporter that got PTSD from shooting an ar once. What kind of car was it a pris?

[wdb]

Originally Posted by No one

How did the boys react? "Never mind, he's always like this."? A man should not be permitted becoming a father until he's proved (got certified? ) as a mature one. (It's been like this in some communities, they say. I know this would lead to a demographic collapse. )

You're a piece of work aren't you.

The kids remained in the back seat of the car. My guess is that dad told them not to get out which was a good thing because there was a man dying on the road. I walked over and told them "your dad did not do anything wrong -- there was nothing he could have done." They looked shell shocked.

[UncleWede]

I see Scraps is a boy dog

[No one]

Originally Posted by wdb

there was a man dying on the road. I walked over and told them "your dad did not do anything wrong -- there was nothing he could have done." They looked shell shocked.

The other one was dying too? From what? An overdose? You described it as a rather light accident: "35MPH" isn't terribly fast, is it? And by the way, if the driver didn't reasonably slow down close to a man "walking oddly, waving his arms" he could have been quite a bit careless still. It's hard to judge without having seen.

[No one]

Originally Posted by wdb

They looked shell shocked.

Well, I still can't help it: "What shall we tell our mom? We failed to supervise her dear one!".

[Ric in RVA]

Richmond VA built this stupid bus line down the middle of a main road with all the rider pickups out in the middle so pedestrians have to cross to get to a bus.

Driver killed someone the other day.

I feel so bad for all involved and curse the stupid designers of the bus line that took up lanes and puts pedestrians in the middle of traffic flow on a BUSY street.

Reports were the driver was totally melted down afterwards.

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news...-broad-street/

[adc100]

Originally Posted by WestRace

Would be funny if the guy got hit still alive, but the driver killed himself and got dead.

uhhh...yea..really funny...

[Maynard]

Good (and accurate) observations, but sorry you had to get it first hand; Good call to put the responders onto this, as it is often missed when there isn't obvious carnage. Post traumatic reactions are highly idiosyncratic, and it is actually typical to have variable effects among similar situations (same trauma happens to a group, and they will all have a wide range of reactions). Often the surprise, or a misplaced sense of security, is a major factor in creating lasting effects; but not from just firing an AR-15 or watching a scary movie. The driver's shock is also quite common, perhaps a little exaggerated for this guy, but there is an emotional reaction to harming others that is often 'irrational' - I work with soldiers who are still torn up about killing people that were actively trying to kill them at the time - you know it was the right thing to do (or that you were not at fault, etc), but that doesn't make it feel right. This is actually a major foundation of my spirituality; despite my strong cynicism about my fellow man, this seems to be a good candidate for that 'essentially good' core, or at least that there is some heart inside most everybody.