What would you do?

So, what would you do? Yesterday evening I'm heading home from work, but taking the usual long way around. I've got my work stuff in my back pack, the typical, drawings, camera, water bottle, cell phone, all the that stuff.

Heading north bound on 99th Street, a 4 lane road, just past Whyte Avenue, I am approaching a commotion ahead so I move to the right lane as it really seemed that traffic had really slowed down all of a sudden. As I get closer, people are standing everywhere, getting out of cars, running out of buildings in their socks, calling on their cell phones, all unfolding in front of me.

The oncoming lane ahead is completely blocked, the center lane in my direction now has three cars stopped with people getting out, my right lane has now been blocked just ahead of those vehicles pulled over leaving only a small passage to continue through. Oncoming cars are trying to squeeze through while one other vehicle in front of me waits to make his move through the same opening. I can see that the traffic behind me is now starting to pile up so my instinct is to safely and quickly move through this congestion as I always worry about being on the bike when distractions of this nature tend to make me invisible to traffic.

As I pass the obstruction in the left lane, I first see a red car pointed the wrong way in the left lane diagonally with the front end almost on the curb. At first glance I can see that the whole driver side door has been crumpled. My first thought was one of the three cars that stopped in the middle lane had t-boned the car but then I saw it. There laying on it's side next to the driver side door is a motorcycle, cruiser looking, I think, with panic all around. I couldn't see the rider but I think he or she was still on the ground with a flurry of people doing something. I just got the hell out of there, again thinking of my own safety.

This morning I'm reading the newspaper looking for the accident and nothing. I began to think about what I saw and didn't like what I was thinking. I realized that my reaction to yesterday evening's mishap was treated like just another typical collision, no thought or regard to whether it might have been someone I know.

Clearly I was only seconds behind this rider and I can only ascertain that the vehicle had pulled out into our lane without stopping and hit the bike. If I had been a few seconds earlier, could that have been me?

Should I have stopped to assists? There where plenty of people already there but are they smart enough to know not to try and remove the rider's helmet? For the sake of my own safety, the immediate area was not a stopping zone. Yes I could have found a side road to pull over in, again I couldn't process what I just saw.

I had a camera on me. Should I have taken pictures of the accident and posted them on here for everyone to see or should I have submitted them to the local paper so they could have written an article on it for today's issue?

With this point and shoot camera I have, should I have taken some video of the event as it continued to unfold and posted it on here or submitted it to my local TV station so they could put it on the 11 o'clock news?

This morning with the absence of the accident in the newspaper, I thought I should have stopped and taken pictures and videos to show the rest of the members here what I saw, but all I have are words. Maybe you would have wanted to see them but how is that in good taste to be that person taking those pictures and videos at the price of some possibly dying fellow motorcyclist laying down on the street? I just hate the feeling and the thought I just had.

Sorry, thought I would share the moment.

That is a pretty crazy story. I honestly have no idea what I would have done but I think you made a very smart descision getting out of the way. Not many people would have realized the danger that you were in with all the people watching the accident instead of where they were going. Sorry you had to go through that, I am sure it was pretty traumatic for you as a fellow rider.

I've seen immediate (within 5 min I suppose) aftermath of two motorcycle accidents while riding. It is unsettling, wondering if "there but for the grace of God goes me." I've not stopped in either case, as there has already been people around. If I was the first there, I would stop. If people are already there, my thought is that I wouldn't add anything to the situation.

If you know CPR, or have valuable emergency situation training; then stop and help. If you were a witness to the accident; then stop and help.

Otherwise just continue on. As you said, a crowd had already been there, the last thing they need is another body raking up valuable space, with a parked bike possibly in the way of an ambulance. Any medical personnel will tell you the same thing. If noone else has stopped to help, then I would personally stop and see what I can do for the situation. but once theres 2-3 other people (not involved) then everyone else needs to just focus on keeping things flowing and helping EMS or police do what they were trained to do

You did the best you could with the situation at hand...... not contributing to the body count means the needed care got where it was necessary faster.

No doubt, the LEOs would be along shortly, and do all the documentation..... clear the scene, and let the professionals do their job. Different story, if you are the first responder; this time, you weren't.

Nothing s*cks more than seeing a rider down. Except being the rider down, looking up. Or not.

Remember to help where you can, and know when it's not appropriate...... the best you can do.

That's a hell of a story man. I probably would have done the same as you. If If you didn't see it happen then there is not much help you would have been. Don't beat yourself up over this, you did what was right.

Don't second guess yourself, you did the most reasonable thing you could under the circumstances.

What would I have done? I don't know? If I saw some way to be of use at that moment, I would have helped, if not, probably what you did.

I have to agree with geetarhero....if you had witnessed the accident, but since you didn't, you did the right thing by moving on.
As far as showing us, I'm sure we all have seen enough pics & videos of crash scenes to last a lifetime....IMO.
And you should not feel bad about not staying D....if I were in your place, I would not have either.

I agree w/Geet. I have my EMT so I would at least stop and see if I could help. Most of the time the best help you can be is stay out of the way of people that can do something. I would be bad taste to take a picture, but I wouldn't diss anybody for doing it.

Doc

I am always one to help out where I can, but in a situation like this I would have the same thing you did, just try to stay out of the way then wonder later if there was something I could have done.

I believe in most situations if your the first on the seen then help out, if there is already a croud they might have it covered or they might be getting in eachothers way. It's a hard call to make I think you did the right thing.

I probably would done exactly as you. There were plenty-enough people already there, (in the way), and it sounded as if the whole incident was snowballing, (and possibly becoming more dangerous). I commend you.
(IMO: If you're not there helping with the problem you become part of the problem)

BD43, you did the right thing. If you are not a witness, and there are already people around, you do not need to be there. People in cages rubbernecking is a very dangerous thing for riders, you did not need to become involved in the scene, one way or another.

If someone had flagged you down to assist, then that is a different story.

As for taking pictures, well, that can be a touchy spot. If you were a witness, then they may help corroborate your story. On the other hand, you just may tick off the people involved. So I really do not see the need for photos. I personally have seen enough accidents for my lifetime.

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to comment. I am both a career and volunteer firefighter and in my personal opinion, it is extremely invasive to snap pictures when someone has been in an acciddent. When we go to work extricating on acciddents that happen on main roads, we do out best (assuming we have the man power) to block all bystandards by holding up tarps. When someone is in a wreck like that, it is one of the most vulnerable times of their life. No one wants to have their picture of their mangled vehicle and body on some strangers camera, for that stranger to distribute at their will.

Like others have said, if you have nothing to offer, the best thing to do is keep moving. Even though most people are trying to help, bystandard cause more problems than they help solve.