ORLANDO, Fla. — It's a type of wreck that has become all too common: a good Samaritan stops to help others in a wreck and is themselves struck.
- Viewer asks if good Samaritans should stop helping motorists
- People have been killed while trying to help others in crashes
- Florida Highway Patrol offers safety considerations
Tom Kiser wrote:
"With all of the wrecks involving good Samaritans across the country, would we be better off just not stopping for other cars? Is this even a legal thing to do?"
It's only human nature when you see someone in extreme distress that you want to help them.
This question comes on the heels of two crashes that occurred during the span of one week on Florida's Turnpike, one in Orange County and the other in Osceola County.
In both instances, good Samaritans pulled off to the side of the road to help what they thought to be distressed drivers, got out of their vehicles and were struck and killed by other vehicles.
"We've had a number of crashes like this in the past," said Lt. Timothy Freebern of the Florida Highway Patrol. "We have a good Samaritan stopping to help, and drivers just not paying attention to what's going on in front them. That's what's causing these crashes."
So the big question is, should you pull over to help out a distressed vehicle? The answer lies somewhere in a very gray area, but it's not illegal to do so if you feel so inclined.
Troopers don't mind the help; however, they stress that you should look at the scenario first before you stop and exit your vehicle on a busy street.
Here are a few things to consider before pulling off to the side of the road to help a distressed motorist:
- What road are you on? If you are on an interstate and cars are moving at high speeds that is a significant risk.
- How visible are you? Is it daytime? Is it night? Do you have any reflective clothing you can wear or any cones in your car?
- How distressed are the people in the vehicle? There is a difference when a car is on fire or overturned and people are inside as opposed to someone who may just have a flat tire.
"If a car is just on an emergency shoulder and it hasn't been involved in a crash, you can definitely call *FHP and talk to us about it," Freebern said.
"(There are) other things, like if it's a crash that just happened, they witness it and people are hurt, the car is on fire and there is something they can do immediately, but definitely call 911 to get police and fire in route."
Thanks for your question.
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