Chance for shocking video worth lives?
Published: 22 May, 2009, 19:36
TAGS: Thrills&Spills, Accident
A controversy over footage of a traffic accident shot with a mobile phone camera is brewing on Russian blogs. The author preferred taking pictures of people burning alive to using the phone to call for help.
The accident happened in the city of Perm near the Ural mountains on May 10. A Ssang-Young Rexton off-roader with five people ran off the road and hit a street lamp with its side at high speed. The car was nearly cut in half and caught fire, burning out in a matter of minutes.
Four passengers died on the spot while the driver managed to get out, dodging almost certain death. He is now being treated in the hospital as half of his body was badly burned.
On Thursday night, footage of the incident made by an eyewitness was uploaded to YouTube and some other video-sharing websites, and quickly sparked controversy in the Russian Internet community.
Some people were shocked by the fact that the author used his mobile phone to take the video, rather than to call an ambulance and a fire crew. According to media reports, it was residents of nearby houses who called for help from the rescue services. Neither did the guy, other gawkers, or drivers of the cars passing by, did much to find a fire extinguisher to help the people inside the car.
“It’s a new thing. A terrifying and modern one. We, the journalists, have a hand in it. Now the people don’t think about saving lives. They think about a few minutes of hot amateur video, which TV stations are eager to take, or "it becomes an instant hit on the internet,” one blogger said, commenting on the controversial footage.
“I hate the way the camera man makes a show out of it. ‘Have you seen the man who was burned alive there?’ he says. They could have saved him, too, if they wanted to,” says another one.
Others are not so eager to point fingers at the author of the video. It clearly shows that both he and his friends wanted to help, but didn’t know how to do it. The man with the phone is heard saying: “How can we get the man out? Let’s think of something, let’s get him out.” But the car was badly damaged with doors jammed closed and it was already on fire.
After a minute of frantic argument, one of the friends jumped on the hood and kicked the windshield out. The compartment was already burning, but the man managed to escape, as the people were crying in panic urging him to get out.
“The guys who saved the driver are good men,” said a person commenting on the video.
Whether the footage evidences people’s indifference to strangers, inability to distinguish real life from action blockbusters, or simply a failure of common folk to cope with shock and act in a dangerous situation remains in question.
22.05.2009, 18:43
1 comment
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This helps my theory that there are three types of people in life. ACTORS and READERS also the PSYCHIC. The READER, visualizes whilst reading books , looks into Art , does not take pictures at face value , the picture tells a story,enjoys the pleasures in life, often wears rose tinted glasses. Listens to the words in music.Tends to be unable to read faces. Horrors in life ,will tend to look away in disbelief. i.e SERIOUS ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. The ACTOR Has tendancies to take things on face value.. When reading books , sees only black and white print, drawing the facts, when looking at art visualizes only the colour . Hears the music, by sound beat and rythm. Tend to be good dancers. The actor reads faces, can see the evil eye in others and senses situations of violence before they occur.Can give an evil look whilst portraying a smile to the unsuspecting reader. Upon a serious road traffic accident, stop to look..ie the swan neckers that cause queques upon motorways. The PSYCIC has the ability to do both, both ACT and READ. I was 35 before I learnt how to read. The other PSYCICS out their will understand what I mean.. You probably see signs that the majority do not... Not only sense situations before they arrive but visualize. The extreme PSYCIC may have seen this accident before it happenned. If unable to prevent the situation , may have been prepared to assist the victims of circumstance.. The person whom took this picture appears to be an extreme actor.. I presume to be young.. Hopefully one day has the ability to read and appreciate life more than death.. Which catagory do you fit ? Graham Tucker
I am not an expert, but I think perhaps it was not a good idea to break the car's "window". Perhaps the driver was more or less OK, not burning, and you can clearly see, as was predictable, that when the guy trying to help broke that "window" a lot of new oxygen entered the cabrin and was able to be burnt and so all the cabin, with the corpses and the driver alive, began to burn really bad. Perhaps the driver wouldn't had that severe burns and perhaps some of the other people were still alive before the window was broken and everything burned so bad...Anyway, it is better trying to help than to keep recording everything. Indeed, recording is a complete lack of respect to any victims involved in an accident.