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I was heading on my way to work today. The way Shoreland drive is set up, there's a Barneys gas station on the right, and I need to take a left onto the next road to get to I-75s.

Well, I'm in my left lane, getting ready to turn. From what I see, the light is still red, and people are starting to nudge forawd. There's this newer, very nice looking Trans Am trying to get into the gas station in the opposing lane. She's an older lady, I figure I'll let her through instead of being the usual dick I am. Well, I look up, light turns green, I stay put and wave her through. There's two cars in the right lane, but they're already ahead of me, and my lane still isn't moving much at all.

Well, she smiles and waves, gets about half way into the gas station and SMACK! A harley (I think... it was a bike of some sort) smashes into the side of the Trans Am at about 40mph I was judging. The bike rips to shreads, and the guys torso runs into the rook line of the car, flips over it, and lands in the grass. He's wearing his helmet, jacket, gloves, all the protective gear. Well, he yells out in pain and starts to roll around. I'm in complete SHOCK at this point, and don't know what to do. I look over, see alot of people in the gas station, and they're running to the guy side. I look up, and take off.

I was already past the gas station entrance, and there was traffic starting to come up behind me. I could of stopped in the middle of the road, but I didn't think that would be the best idea.

So to recap, no, I did not stop to help. I didn't think there was anything I could do. I didn't call 911, mainly because I don't know what intersection that is. (Shoreland ends RIGHT there, turns into.... Bancroft maybe? And the intersection is Ottawa River Road.... I think... ) Ok... so thinking about it, I guess I do know the interesection.


Needless to say, I can't get the image out of my head. It keeps replaying over and over and over. I feel terrible, becuase it could of been easily avoided if I would of just been a dick and not let her through. Of corse, she needs to look ahead as well. Meh

So what would you of done?

If I would of just been a dick and not let her through, the guy would be fine....

Thats crazy! Damn Harley's not paying attention.

I vote three, because legal situations suck.

I don't think its your fault. the driver of the T/A should have looked better and the rider should of anticipated something like that happening. and as far as someone calling 911, I'm sure if there were as many people around as you said. it wasn't long till they were called. As far as stopping, unless you have medical training, threes not a lot that you could have done but check on both parties involved.
You could always call the local hospitals and check status.

On a second note. i never trust when someone says go. cause they could have a blind spot.
Try to have a good day.

Just my opinion. Everyone is differant. Respect others veiws even if you dont agree with them.

the only reason to stay would be because you witnessed the accident but if there was that many people i'm sure they have enough witnesses...

ya i would have stayed becuse what u just did was illegal...you left the scene of an accident that you wittnessed. You saw the whole thing and you probably saw more than anyone else. Yes the all had plenty of help but now if someone saw u leaving saw it wrong and thought u did something to cause it they might have wrote down your plates and will call ur plates in cuz u ran...i would have turned around and stayed and waited for the cops and gave them my story that way i am completey out of the situation in the end. Now u have to worry if they call you in and saying u left the scene of an accident...and that is illegal so u could get a ticket for it if the call u in.

I know people don't want to be troubled by doing the right thing and helping or giving a witness report to an accident. It takes time out of your life (maybe an hour or two tops), but the trouble it causes the parties in the accident is a lot. I've been left high a dry, in fact with witnesses cussing at me for getting hit.

If anything, call the local police department and let them know you were a witness to the accident today and see if they need or want your statement.

This reminds me of when I was going to work and this one dude was waving me to go and there was another car coming... So I waited.

Actually Dan, you're wrong. In the state of Ohio, a witness does NOT have to stay at the scene of an accident. (I'm pretty sure just about ever other state has the same law, but I'm not looking it up.)

The only people required to stay at the scene, are those that are directly involved in the accident. Just becuase I waited for the owner of the Trans Am, does NOT mean she had to go, and it is HER responsibilty to look in all directions before crossing lanes.

Just becuase someone waves you on, or waits for you, simply does not mean you listen to them.

And chances are, I didn't see things the best. There was several drivers behind the Trans Am that could see me and the motorcycle, there were numerous cars behind the motorcycle, and there was one driver behind me.

I seen what the Trans Am did. I didn't see the motorcycle driver until he was on the ground. Not to mention, there are cameras that look out at the gas station, and since it was awefully close to the pumps, they probably caught everything on tape.

It's clear who was at fault. There will be no question about that. The owner of the Trans Am pulled out in front of the operator of the motorcycle.

Trust me, I've spent the past several hours talking to people here at work, looking info up online. I was in shock, and felt I was of little use, so I left.

If the cops want to question me, they can. Nothing I did was wrong.

And i am not saying that you were at fault here. You did absolutly nothing to cause teh accident. You were in no way part of form the cause of it. I am just saying i would have stayed incase someone tried to say taht i did something to cause it and then they get my plates and call me in. I would just stay to make sure i dont get involved in it when it was just somebody who saw it all wrong. I would do it just to keep my ass out of unwanted trouble that i wasnt even in in the first place. Basically just for safe measure.

i didn't say you HAD to stay just that would be the only reason to stay...

Yea josh, I woulda went back to the gas station and at least called the Cops and EMS. And your right about fleeing the scene here in Ohio, I know when I got in my accident, a lot of ppl witnessed it and kept on driving by like it wasnt nothing, actually I kind of wish one of my witnesses did leave the scene, because he told the cops and my insurance company two different stories..

since my family are bikers and i grew up riding i would stopped in the middle of the street and tried to help with anything....even if it was a blanket in my car, or a tshirt to lay over him or anything....dunno....

bikers usually try to look out for other bikers and help a biker when they can.

I'm an ass.. I wouldnt of let the lady over.. but if I had and this happened I wouldn't of stopped. She should of looked and the Harley should of been paying attention.

About the same thing happened to me a year ago; it was Friday in the afternoon in the middle of a rush hour coming from DC Beltway traffic.

Up on I-270, I kept a far distance from an Explorer in front of me. The driving was erratic, it swerves left and right, crossing the medians too.
Then the Explorer rear ended a car in front of it. If I got too close, I could've rear ended him.

I kept on going by turning to the HOV lane. I didn't know what to do either; I could've stopped to help but I didn't have a cellphone.

If it was a really major accident, I'd would stop. If it's just rear-ending somebody, I'd keep going. Then again, I don't really know what the MD state law is either concerning accidents.

this reminds me of a video I saw a gas station security camera caught. only it was a two land road and a car stopped, then started to pull into the gas station, didnt see the person on the motorcycle coming tell to late, dude smacked into front of car and went flying. looked like it hurt.

anyways imo not your fault, but see what happens when you try to be nice, screw the people trying to turn i usely say. No reason for you to hold up traffic by stoppin in the road either. dont worry about it and go on being your normal dick self for now on.

I would have stopped and rendered aid.

holy shit

I would have been in shock too!

I've been in the position that the biker was in once. During peak traffic time some guy waved a chick to turn left across three lanes. the middle and left lanes were gridlocked, and the far right was wide open, this happened to be the lane i was cruising in at 35. well, lets say i had about 1.5 seconds of reaction time before i plowed into the chick. It was her fault for not looking, and she was ticketed for pulling in front of traffic. The guy that waved her through took off and nothing happened to him, so dont worry about them tracking you down. But now everytime I am in those kinds of situations, i slow way down, and it has saved me several times from another accident. The guy on the motorcycle sounds like he was going too fast for the amount of traffic. I'm sure this kind of situation is pretty common and i bet a good percent of the "wavers" don't stick around. I prolly woulda left too unless there was no-one else around or the accident was exceptionally brutal.

kornholio788 wrote:ya i would have stayed becuse what u just did was illegal...you left the scene of an accident that you wittnessed. You saw the whole thing and you probably saw more than anyone else. Yes the all had plenty of help but now if someone saw u leaving saw it wrong and thought u did something to cause it they might have wrote down your plates and will call ur plates in cuz u ran...i would have turned around and stayed and waited for the cops and gave them my story that way i am completey out of the situation in the end. Now u have to worry if they call you in and saying u left the scene of an accident...and that is illegal so u could get a ticket for it if the call u in.

mucho correct.

Pray someone didn't get your tag number.

Opi wrote:Actually Dan, you're wrong. In the state of Ohio, a witness does NOT have to stay at the scene of an accident. (I'm pretty sure just about ever other state has the same law, but I'm not looking it up.)

Even if someone got my tag number, what would it matter? I wasn't involved?

Opi wrote:

Opi wrote:Actually Dan, you're wrong. In the state of Ohio, a witness does NOT have to stay at the scene of an accident. (I'm pretty sure just about ever other state has the same law, but I'm not looking it up.)

Even if someone got my tag number, what would it matter? I wasn't involved?

In MD, if you leave the scene of an accident, its a misdemeanor crime, if it was a fatal accident, its a felony crime.

Just saying...

isn't that only if your involved in the crash? i doubt they would expect every person that seen it to stop what they were doing and wait for the cops...

i think it depends... if there is no one there to help, or only a couple people, then hell yeah you should pull over, call 911, and go over and try to help... i think if you were a witness though, you should have parked your car and stayed around till the cops arrived to give a statement...

otherwise, if there are lots of people helping already then you're probably just gonna get in the way, and yeah i would just drive on and clear the area for when the EMS arrives....

I would have stayed just to make sure there wasnt nothing i could have done to help. but thats just me. but on the other hand the accident would have never happended cause in MD on the road its everyman for himself...

KrackstaR wrote:I would have stayed just to make sure there wasnt nothing i could have done to help. but thats just me. but on the other hand the accident would have never happended cause in MD on the road its everyman for himself...

I drove 16 hours this weekend. The only times I had a near collision was in MD.

KrackstaR wrote:I would have stayed just to make sure any potentially good looking females were well taken care of. but that's just me

fixed for you

danielc24 wrote:isn't that only if your involved in the crash? i doubt they would expect every person that seen it to stop what they were doing and wait for the cops...

Technically, he's involved in the crash since he signalled the lady through, unless I misunderstood what he said, which is quite possible.

rice_eater wrote:

KrackstaR wrote:I would have stayed just to make sure any potentially good looking females were well taken care of. but that's just me

fixed for you

LOL yeah that would also be the case too.. but thats just me

i would've stayed because i have my EMT training.....there's always accidents on this road on my way home from my g/f's at least once a month and i've had to pull people out of cars more than once....the worst one was this f-150 single cab that got t-boned by a semi.....there were two people in the car and well, the passenger side of the car was so destroyed that we didnt even know there was a person in there

everyone reacts differently and you CANNOT say what you would too until it happens because when that adrenaline kicks in you wont know what to do sometimes