Ohio man charge for filming crash victims instead of helping them.

[s0me0nesmind1]

FFS, read the article

its nothing like Seinfeld and he's not directly in trouble for filming and/or not helping, he's being charged for entering/tampering with what they are calling a crime scene, and its because he did so without intent to help (although even good intentions can get you in trouble if you try and help someone beyond your means and end up only making the situation worse

So wait, if you enter the vehicle to help him, it's not a crime. If you enter the vehicle to grab a video of the scene, it's a crime? That is the dumbest shit I've ever heard. I'm not defending the dumbass, just saying from a legal point of view that is bull. It would be one thing if he went and searched them for their wallets, grabbed loose change, etc... but that isn't what happened.

No criminal activity was intended by entering the vehicle. In fact, he could have been documenting it for the GOOD of the situation. Maybe one of the drivers was drunk and evidence is needed to convict the other of drunk driving. Maybe they were racing, that would be good to know. Maybe one had a seizure. Maybe one went on a road rage. As far as ANYONE is concerned, outside of any stupid commentary he said, it is all relevant information to the event.

 

[TheGardener]

So wait, if you enter the vehicle to help him, it's not a crime. If you enter the vehicle to grab a video of the scene, it's a crime? That is the dumbest shit I've ever heard. I'm not defending the dumbass, just saying from a legal point of view that is bull.

No criminal activity was intended by entering the vehicle. In fact, he could have been documenting it for the GOOD of the situation. Maybe one of the drivers was drunk and evidence is needed to convict the other of drunk driving. Maybe they were racing, that would be good to know. Maybe one had a seizure. Maybe one went on a road rage. As far as ANYONE is concerned, outside of any stupid commentary he said, it is all relevant information to the event.

It's only a guess, but I have the feeling you are a lawyer. Kind of like the one who claimed his DUI client was not drunk, but had brushed his teeth with Sensodyne toothpaste.

 

[MrPickins]

You can tell the people that didn't bother to read the article.

 

[Ketchup]

You can tell the people that didn't bother to read the article.

Maybe. The title reminded me of Seinfeld. The article reminded me "you can't make this stuff up!"

 

[ImpulsE69]

LOL. Hey, I got the title from the article!


..and I couldn't put 'for being a fucktard' in the title!

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

It's only a guess, but I have the feeling you are a lawyer. Kind of like the one who claimed his DUI client was not drunk, but had brushed his teeth with Sensodyne toothpaste.

Heh, close. But not exactly. IANAL, but my position deals with a good amount of interpreting of law. Not studying it in full persay. We have people that hang around DC to phone up if it gets that intense. You simply have to throw away your passionate feelings and bleeding heart liberalism of a topic and interpret the words of the law as they were intended.

The man is fucking stupid, no doubt. But he did nothing that was criminal related. Hence, charging him with a CRIME that specifically says the word CRIMINAL in it... is bullshit. It won't fly for a second.

 

[motsm]

FFS, read the article

its nothing like Seinfeld and he's not directly in trouble for filming and/or not helping, he's being charged for entering/tampering with what they are calling a crime scene, and its because he did so without intent to help (although even good intentions can get you in trouble if you try and help someone beyond your means and end up only making the situation worse)

I read the article before I posted, and it in no way stopped me from thinking of Seinfeld, so deal with it.

 

[brianmanahan]

Looks like the Heartland of American has gone rotten.

lol, lorain is FAR from the heartland of america, it's just a ghetto city.

you have to go south in the county to actually get a decent place to live.

 

[Dude111]

It's about time.

Indeed!

Stupid idiots not helping,just recording it to share with others., STUPID MORON!!!!!

 

[Paladin3]

I'm a retired newspaper photographer. I've been to several accident and fire scenes before first responders arrived. If someone is in trouble and I am the only one available to give aid then I put the camera down and do so because I am a human being first and a photojournalist second.

Most of the times I got to a scene first I only had time to toss out flairs or stopped traffic before paramedics arrived to give medical aid. I have helped firefighters pull hose at fires until enough manpower arrived a time or two. I watched a drunk roll his truck once and tried to keep him still until paramedics arrived.

Most photojournalists I've met like people and that's why they chose the profession they did. To heckle a dying kid is just despicable. Still, I don't think this guy broke any laws here other than entering the vehicle, which the courts will have to settle.

 

[waggy]

Since i actually read the article and not going on the OP. i think the charges are just right.

The fucker opened the vehicle and filmed. fuck him.

this ain't he was standing back and filming. Fuck no. the fuck nut had to go open the vehicle and interfere and film.

I have no issue with the charges. fuck him.

I am also glad to see his idiotic face on the the news and forums. fuck him

 

[DrPizza]

If nothing else, even if he gets off without paying a cent, at least he has been successfully labeled an asshole and a despicable human being. If Ohio's a right to work state, maybe someone can be present to video tape him and call him an idiot while his boss is firing him.

 

[piasabird]

You could be sued for moving an injured person.

 

[Viper GTS]

Since i actually read the article and not going on the OP. i think the charges are just right.

The fucker opened the vehicle and filmed. fuck him.

this ain't he was standing back and filming. Fuck no. the fuck nut had to go open the vehicle and interfere and film.

I have no issue with the charges. fuck him.

I am also glad to see his idiotic face on the the news and forums. fuck him

For once you and I are in complete agreement

Including all the fucks, I like that word too.

Viper GTS

 

[waggy]

For once you and I are in complete agreement

Including all the fucks, I like that word too.

Viper GTS

It's a great word for stories like this.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

So wait, if you enter the vehicle to help him, it's not a crime. If you enter the vehicle to grab a video of the scene, it's a crime? That is the dumbest shit I've ever heard. I'm not defending the dumbass, just saying from a legal point of view that is bull. It would be one thing if he went and searched them for their wallets, grabbed loose change, etc... but that isn't what happened.

they didn't say it wouldn't be crime if he broke in to help, just that they were looking for an excuse to charge him with and found the one that felt could possibly stick because his basic act of not helping/filming was not a crime (the breaking in/tampering part is what they're charging him for)

if his actions had been those attempting to help they might still be able to charge him with a crime but they might not want to / the victims might not want to press charges

No criminal activity was intended by entering the vehicle. In fact, he could have been documenting it for the GOOD of the situation. Maybe one of the drivers was drunk and evidence is needed to convict the other of drunk driving. Maybe they were racing, that would be good to know. Maybe one had a seizure. Maybe one went on a road rage. As far as ANYONE is concerned, outside of any stupid commentary he said, it is all relevant information to the event.

maybe not in this situation, but what about a situation where the guy actually causes the accident (or rather, incident) with the purposeful intent to film the aftermath? Tampering with the wreckage by breaking into it could change what the evidence tells us, hell, one could purposefully try and change things

the simple act of breaking and entering or tampering with a crime scene is a crime, even if the perpetrator has no other criminal intent, its why his potential punishment really isn't that harsh (potential 30 days of jail and $250 fine, but probably not even that unless he has a history)

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I'm going to play a little devil's advocate here:

I know it's all nice to help people out, it's what a good samaritan does. But what law says you must help people out?

If anything, I have seen multiple cases where after saving/helping someone, the person they were saving turns around and tries to sue them. There is a reason why business owners tell employees not to go after people, etc...

The guy is fucking stupid, no question though.

"he opened a back door and leaned into the vehicle to capture video on his cellphone"

I would say what he did he did for himself in a most selfish manner. Now, if he stood on the side of the road, called 911 and claimed he was too scared to go near the vehicle I would understand it. Opening a door and leaning into said vehicle for the express reason videotape for his own glory is quite something else.

BTW, for the older farts out there ... remember this CHiPs episode where Ponch was taken to court over post-accident injuries to the injured when it was beliveed he helped remove the victim from the vehicle when he actually hadn't?

Why would I try to play good Samaritan and get a suit levied against my ass when I could be more productive to society by staying gainfully employed and calling professionals (re: 911).

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

"he opened a back door and leaned into the vehicle to capture video on his cellphone"

I would say what he did he did for himself in a most selfish manner. Now, if he stood on the side of the road, called 911 and claimed he was too scared to go near the vehicle I would understand it. Opening a door and leaning into said vehicle for the express reason videotape for his own glory is quite something else.

Correct. But since when is selfishness a crime? Again, what rule did he break? And if entering the vehicle is a crime, then I guess anyone trying to help him is guilty of the crime as well?

My point being is that laws are clear, cut, and well-defined. The man didn't enter the vehicle to do anything illegal.

Nor was he "tampering" with a crime. This wasn't a crime - this was a car accident. Two very different things. Again, if you want to turn it into "crime scene", you could call him a good Samaritan by recording it all.

 

[brianmanahan]

Correct. But since when is selfishness a crime?

since the seinfeld finale

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I read on USA Today that he guy tried to sell the footage to the new stations but the stations didn't go with it. He stated he wasn't trying to sell it, but wanted the stations to make a donation to his favorite charity or some bullshit.

The dude's a scumbag.

 

[JackBurton]

They tried to "find" something to charge him with? Yeah, that what laws are designed for.

I need to know more about how these teens "lost control" of their car when crossing the railroad tracks. Wondering if texting was involved. If so, I don't give a shit what happened afterwards.

 

[Ns1]

Read the article, totally Nightcrawler.

 

[MongGrel]

Read the article, totally Nightcrawler.

Suck ass buzzards deserve it.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Right, a cheap technicality that will probably never fly in court. He is under no obligation to help or to refrain from laughing at the dumbasses. DA has a hissy fit and can't charge him with an actual crime, so they use criminal trespass which is a crock of shit. Sending a hell of a message, if you want to laugh at dumbasses and not help them, just do it from a respectful distance and you're covered. Woohoo!! Major victory for law and order.

who took a crap in your Wheaties?? You actually do not know what you are talking about...

 

[Kaido]

I don't disagree, but he should have just quietly left the scene and not filmed it. Maybe the circumstance means you wouldn't want to help, but on a greater scale, people are getting really bad about just pulling their phones out and watching so they can post it on FB rather than doing what needs done.

I was going to say, from the title, why would he get charged - but then I read that he called them idiots & ENTERED THE CAR without helping them, and one of them later died:

An Ohio man was charged on Wednesday for entering a vehicle after an accident where he filmed two injured teenagers, one of whom later died, while calling them “idiots” and making no effort to help them, police said.

Paul Pelton, 41, was charged with vehicular trespass after he opened a back door and leaned into the vehicle to capture video on his cellphone just after the Monday accident in Lorain, 30 miles west of Cleveland, the Lorain Police Department said.

Wow...it's like Reddit's various freedom-of-speech "I can be a crappy person if I want to be" subreddits come to life. Re:

“We searched to try to find anything to charge him with,” Sivert said. “It is not a crime to stick a camera where a kid is dying or try to sell it."

Yes, it's not a crime but it's kind of less than human, man. Just wow.