Man dragged under a car for 1/2 a mile and survived!

[Analog]

NEW MILFORD, New Jersey (AP) -- A U.S. Army specialist who had just returned from Iraq was hit by a car as he walked toward his grandmother's house, then dragged a half-mile by another vehicle.

"It's amazing he's still alive," New Milford Police Lt. Michael Burns said.

Andrew Rippe was crossing a road during a downpour around 6:30 a.m. Monday when he was struck by the first vehicle, which pushed him to the ground and into the path of the oncoming car, officials said.

In that second car, driver Roslyn Gottlieb said she heard a thump but figured it was just a piece of a cardboard under her car and kept driving to a convenience store for a cup of coffee.

When she pulled up at the store, Michael Obertlik noticed Rippe trapped under the car.

"My friend thought it was a dummy, but I said, 'That's a real person. The man is still breathing,"' Obertlik told The Record of Bergen County.

Rescue workers inflated air bags to take the car off Rippe, who had a broken leg and had lost skin.

The 25-year-old was in serious condition at Hackensack University Medical Center on Monday.

Hospital spokeswoman Nancy Radwin said Tuesday that Rippe's family requested that no further information about his condition be released.

Police Chief Frank Papapietro on Tuesday said no charges had been filed, but his department was still investigating.

"It appears just to be a horrible accident at this point," he said.

 

[Howard]

Women drivers.

?

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

:shocked:

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Analog

"It appears just to be a horrible accident at this point," he said.

A horrible accident? An object as large as a human being doesn't just slip under your car unnoticed if you're paying attention when you're driving. When you're driving a car you have an obligation to it in a manner that is not dangerous to others. If he was injured because she wasn't paying close enough attention to the road, she needs to be punished.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Analog

"It appears just to be a horrible accident at this point," he said.

A horrible accident? An object as large as a human being doesn't just slip under your car unnoticed if you're paying attention when you're driving. When you're driving a car you have an obligation to it in a manner that is not dangerous to others. If he was injured because she wasn't paying close enough attention to the road, she needs to be punished.

At the very least, she should have her driver's license permanently revoked. She is unfit to pilot a car.

 

[CKent]

Why am I not surprised it was a woman driving?

 

[Chunkee]

this is horrible, a boy while i was in high school was hit by a drunk driver, 5 times previous convictions, he hit Todd and dragged him all around town...there was nothing left but pieces everywhere...Todd was on his bike....just horrible...

jC

 

[K1052]

Lessons for women drivers:

1. Investigate all large thud sounds heard from car
2. If screaming along the lines of "please god help me" is coming from the site of said large thud, investigate before reaching your destination
3. If thing trapped under car is speaking to you it is most likely not a dummy

 

[TehMac]

I'm not one to stereotype but that was one dumbass women, and, why am I not surprised it was a women?

Sorry all decent women drivers on ATOT. I'm sure your 10^10 more intelligent than this miserable piece of trash.

 

[montanafan]

What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

 

[Schadenfroh]

and I thought that the swan my cousin ran over in his pickup and dragged for 5 miles before noticing was impressive.

 

[waitman]

Gotta give her a break, she hadn't had her coffee yet and it was 6:30 A.M. :laugh:

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: montanafan
What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

Exactly. In the woman's defense, at 6:30am it could've still been fairly dark outside. That, coupled with a downpour, would've made it hard to see the guy were he already lying motionless in the road. She likely still could've and should've seen him, but I can understand how she might not have.

 

[CKent]

Originally posted by: montanafan
What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

What about her?

 

[quakefiend420]

Originally posted by: CKent

Originally posted by: montanafan
What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

What about her?

oh snap :laugh:

 

[montanafan]

Originally posted by: CKent

Originally posted by: montanafan
What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

What about her?

But what I meant was that the real criminal act here was the hit and run by the first driver. The police said that it "appeared to just be a horrible accident at this point". I might buy that for the second driver, but looks like they'd be focusing on finding who hit him and then left him lying in the road.


Edit: Wrong emoticon.

 

[Bootprint]

Originally posted by: quakefiend420

Originally posted by: CKent

Originally posted by: montanafan
What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

What about her?

oh snap :laugh:

It was his grandma.

 

[Ricemarine]

Who puts cardboard on the road?...

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: montanafan
What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

Probably Roslyn Gottlieb's sister.

For all we know, the woman who hit him first could have stopped, but her victim was nowhere to be found.

Or she may have thought she killed him and ran off.

 

[montanafan]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: montanafan
What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

Probably Roslyn Gottlieb's sister.

For all we know, the woman who hit him first could have stopped, but her victim was nowhere to be found.

Or she may have thought she killed him and ran off.

You know, your first scenario could be correct. (No, not the part about it being the second driver's sister. ) If the two cars were close, the first one may have hit him and that blocked the second car from seeing him in the road, but the first one still would have to have known they'd hit the guy. That would make it even more weird if the first car pulled over and the driver went to check on him and he was nowhere to be found. :Q

 

[EKKC]

"a piece of cardboard" OMG BAN HER FROM LIVING!

 

[Shawn]

idiot. how any ANYONE be that clueless?

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Originally posted by: CKent
Why am I not surprised it was a woman driving?

Because any guy would have noticed that he drove over a person, or the screaming from under the car, or possibly that weird thump noise.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: montanafan
What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

Exactly. In the woman's defense, at 6:30am it could've still been fairly dark outside. That, coupled with a downpour, would've made it hard to see the guy were he already lying motionless in the road. She likely still could've and should've seen him, but I can understand how she might not have.

With that attitude, I would permanently revoke YOUR license if I could. :|

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: montanafan
What about whoever hit him in the first place and kept going?

Exactly. In the woman's defense, at 6:30am it could've still been fairly dark outside. That, coupled with a downpour, would've made it hard to see the guy were he already lying motionless in the road. She likely still could've and should've seen him, but I can understand how she might not have.

With that attitude, I would permanently revoke YOUR license if I could. :|

why? it seems his thinking follows what the police are saying. It was dark, a bad rainstorm and two cars hit this guy and probably neither saw him. it was an accident and if you want to get gritty about I would put the blame on the guy for not looking before he crossed the damn road.