Not a Hero

Life can turn on a dime.  Fortunately for me, so can my broken down Saturn.  I usually take the I-95 express lane to work which is located in Miami.  The express lane charges toll is divided from the rest of the interstate with orange traffic markers about 4 foot tall.  There is one entrance in North Miami and you can not exit until you reach the down town area of Miami.  The regular highway is free but always congested so I opt to pay the toll.  Yesterday a black camaro lost control on I-95 and came across the traffic markers at a 90 degree angle hitting the car in front of me and continued at me head on.  I managed to hit the brakes a skid out of the way of the camaro as I drove through shattered glass and passed the car ahead of me which turnover due to the collision.  I immediately pulled over and ran back to help the people in the turned over vehicle.  I was surprised how many cars just kept going and did not stop to help.  Only one other guy, the one in the picture stopped to help.  A police officer on his way to work pulled over and turned on his lights and offered assistance until the Highway Patrol and rescue could arrive to check out the occupants of the vehicles.  Later, so one in my Jiu Jitsu class said I was a hero for rescuing the people in the flipped over vehicle.  I said I was not a hero, I just helped them out of the car.  They were dazed, but appeared OK.  It does not take a hero to stop and help, just a concerned citizen with compassion for his fellow man.  Maybe the people that kept driving thought some one else would take care of it or they were too scarred to get involved.  I will probably be inconvenienced and have to go to a deposition in the future since I witnessed the accident, but I could not just keep driving while some one might be hurt.  I just thank God that I could go home to my family that night.

Republished from my blog Capes and Kids Feb 15th, 2012 3:53pm