Should I have stopped to help?

[JT20]

Okay so, real quick before I have my year-end Christmas/New Years meeting with The Dad.

Okay so I'm driving down Rt 70, out of my town and into the next one. Pass Quick Chek. I see a cruiser in the right lane. I can see this stuff from a mile away so I'm like.. Accident? Hmm. I don't see other cars.

Peeking between the lanes, I see the cop or LEO if you prefer, walking along with someone else along the road. Weird.

Okay so. That lane is clearly tied up.

So we go through the light. Passing the cop car.. he's not in it! That's good because the light just turned red...

Okay so. Point: There's a Cadillac Deville and the cop is IN THE DRIVER SEAT of it!!! Flashers on, another guy pushing it.

This car must have stalled on the road!!!

I can see the other guy was clearly frustrated pushing it.

So. We have a cop, in the driver seat of a car, door open flashers on, other people pushing the car. Forward in a lane of traffic probably 2/10 of a mile maybe 1/10 to next parking lot.

Should I have pulled over and JUMPED out of my car to help push? What would you do.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Yeah I probably would have. And I would because many people have stopped to help me before when I needed it so I would do it for others.

 

[JT20]

Yeah I probably would have. And I would because many people have stopped to help me before when I needed it so I would do it for others.

No fear of getting shot? Surprising someone?

 

[TheLawnRanger]

I've been there. It's hard to know.

 

[AutoMechanic]

No fear of getting shot? Surprising someone?

Well there is that. I would of course approach with caution.

 

[Malo83]

Why didn't the cop use the push bars on the front of the cruiser to push him out of the way, standard procedure here in Cali.

 

[WylieCoyote]

Those are strictly for pit maneuvers. They scratch someone's disabled car with it, and you know a lawsuit will follow.

 

[gman2304]

There’s a lot of things I won’t do today that I would have done without even thinking about it back in the day. Sadly, you more than likely made the right decision.

 

[czbrian]

I wouldn't have pushed. I've read too many news stories of some driver ramming into disabled vehicle due to being drunk or playing on the phone. I would be happy to call a tow truck though.

 

[Astro14]

I would have.

I have in the past, and I would again.

For example, one winter afternoon, in about 1990, driving home from NAS Oceana in a torrential rain, I saw an older lady whose car had stalled in an intersection. In about six inches of water.

Everyone was honking, and a few even threw rude gestures her way.

I pulled my 1970 Ford Fairlane wagon over, just past the intersection, and ran back to her. My khaki uniform was soaked in the few dozen yards to took to reach her stalled car.

I had her put it in neutral, and told her to steer while I pushed it. People stopped honking as they saw a bedraggled, soaked, young LT pushing the car.

As I pushed it out of the intersection, another Good Samaritan stopped to help, and together, we got her stalled car into a convenience store parking lot. One with a pay phone, fortunately.

I made certain that she was OK. That she had someone to call. She declined the offer of a ride, but she tried very hard to pay me.

No way would I let her. Absolutely no way. “No ma’am, just glad you’re OK.” “I hope the rest of your day goes better”

I had to replace my ribbon rack, and leather uniform shoes, both ruined by the puddles and rain.

I’m not saying what anyone else should do, I’m saying what I would do, and what I have done in the past. I couldn’t just let her sit there.

 

[JC1]

I've been there. It's hard to know.

It's hard to know these days. I would have tried to stop and ask if they needed help if it was safe to do so. If you had already passed the scene and couldn't safely do it, then just motor on.

 

[PandaBear]

I wouldn't, not because I don't want to help but doing so may actually cause more problem (i.e. push it the wrong way and down a ditch, slowing the traffic even more, it was a crime scene and I might destroy some evidence by accident, etc).

 

[Trav]

Sure I would have helped him, no question.

 

[JT20]

I think another thing was traffic had to merge into the lane I was in, in front of and behind.

I basically realized what was happening as i passed the open door and realized the cop was steering the disabled Cadillac while (I presume the owner) pushed.

I think it was too late once I passed.

I KNOW there could be benefit in a 2nd person pushing a DeVille, more than likely with low tire pressure

But who knows.

What if me pulling over got me a ticket for "Obstructing a lane" or something? That was thoughts in my head too.