Paul Pelton Gets 4,000 Facebook Friend Requests After Videotaping 17-Year-Old Dying In Car Crash Instead Of Helping: ‘Paul D Santucci’ FB Updates [Video]
The Facebook account of Paul Pelton — listed under the pen name Paul D. Santucci (Alcohtraz) on Facebook — is certainly getting plenty of attention on Friday, July 17. Santucci published his thoughts that same day on Facebook about the more than 4,000 Facebook friend requests he has received in the wake of Pelton’s recent videotaping actions going viral online.
“I ‘think’ I appreciate all the 4000+ friend requests, maybe? But really, why be friends with me, imma JERK.”
As reported by MSN, 41-year-old Paul took the liberty of opening the back door of a car driven by a 17-year-old with a 17-year-old passenger after it crashed. Instead of helping the victims — driver Zachary Goodin and Cameron Friend (the latter of whom later died) — Pelton filmed the driver and the dying passenger.
Paul even reportedly tried to sell the horrific Facebook video to at least two news organizations, but later posted an apology video on Facebook, claiming he simply wanted to warn other drivers to slow down.
“I just wanted to educate people to slow down. I didn’t do that to have some type of gore video.”
However, it’s that same Facebook video that has gotten Pelton charged with vehicular trespassing and arrested. Police searched for some applicable charge to hit Paul with, reports Cleveland.com, which notes that Pelton posted bond in the meantime. That explains why Paul is out of jail and once again posting his thoughts on Facebook.
“We searched to try to find anything to charge him with. It is not a crime to stick a camera where a kid is dying or try to sell it.”
The Honda sedan being driven by the 17-year-old crashed into a home after flying over railroad tracks in Lorain, Ohio. To add insult to injury, Pelton reportedly called the teens “idiots” in the Facebook video, but Paul didn’t attempt to help them.
“He went right in after the crash, before the rescuers or police arrived. He opened a back door and leaned in to film the boys and then walked around to the front door as he continued recording. At no time did he try to help either of the boys.”
As reported by the Inquisitr, neighbors ultimately helped the crash victims and pulled them out of the wreckage whilst Pelton continued to film his video for Facebook.
Meanwhile, police are using Paul’s Facebook videotaping actions as a lesson in morality for the public.
“The Lorain Police Department would like to remind citizens that they are allowed and encouraged to help one another in emergencies if they can do so safely, and that rendering aid or comfort to a dying young man and his severely injured friend is a commendable and kindly act. Persons are not, however, allowed to trespass into a person’s vehicle criminally and without permission for the seemingly singular cause of filming a young man’s dying moments, for profit.”
[Images via Facebook]
