Anyone who stops and helps a stranger in distress after a car accident is a hero in our book. Unfortunately, sometimes helping others puts your own safety at risk. Passing drivers may not get out of the way of the accident scene, and secondary crashes sometimes happen.
Recently, a Good Samaritan in the East Bay was seriously hurt while trying to save a driver trapped in a flaming car. Though the would-be rescuer was expected to survive, a California Highway Patrol officer described his injuries as “major,” according to KPIX-TV.
The first accident occurred when a driver lost control on Interstate 80 and crashed into a pillar. That car caught fire and the driver was unable to escape.
A short time later, the Good Samaritan saw what was happening and pulled over. He pulled a fire extinguisher out of his vehicle and used it to try to put out the fire.
Suddenly, a third vehicle passed the scene, striking the man with the fire extinguisher. At first, police said the third driver fled after the car accident, but CHP later said that a vehicle, possibly the one that hit the man, stayed at the scene.
The first driver died. The nature of the Good Samaritan’s injuries were not made clear in the KPIX report. A third accident, apparently caused by a rubbernecking motorist, caused minor injury.
All those who share the highway need to be alert and safe because you never know what might be going on just a few seconds in front of you.
