Man Who Filmed A Fatal Crash Instead Of Helping Victims Charged With Vehicular Trespassing — What About Apathy?

A man who filmed a fatal crash instead of helping the victims was arrested but later released after he posted bond.

Ohio police have charged Paul Pelton for filming a fatal car accident with no intention of helping the victims. Reports indicate he may have even attempted to sell the footage to a local news station.

Ohio police allege 41-years-old Pelton was the first one to arrive at the scene of a car accident in the city of Lorain. The accident took place early in the morning and involved three people, all teenagers. One of the youth died on the spot in the crash, while two others were seriously injured. Local news agencies indicate a Honda sedan flew over railroad tracks and crashed into a house.

Instead of helping the victims out of the wreckage, Pelton is said to have whipped out his smartphone and started filming the aftermath of the crash. He may have even opened the back door of the mangled car, not to help the victims, but get a better angle and clearer view of the mayhem.

Speaking about the apathy, Sgt. Buddy Sivert said in a press release, “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, the report said. While others were rendering aid to these boys, a male took the opportunity to video this horrible scene with his cell phone. In the video, the male makes comments that the boys were ‘idiots,’ and holds his cell phone so that he can film these two boys who were in medical crisis.”

Witnesses who stepped forward to help the still-alive teenagers later confirmed that Pelton showed no willingness to offer assistance to the crash victims, reported WOIO.

Despite the brazen display of indifference towards the suffering of a fellow human being, the man was merely charged for “vehicular trespassing”. From a legal perspective, it simply means the accused “knowingly entered into… a motor vehicle without consent of the owner/driver or person authorized to give consent,” reported WKYC.

Pelton has since posted bail and is now a free man, lamented Sivert.

“We searched to try to find anything to charge him with. Pelton was charged for entering a crime scene, but not for filming what was unfolding there, nor for trying to peddle the footage to news organizations. It is not a crime to stick a camera where a kid is dying or try to sell it.”

It need not be said that it is imperative to offer assistance to anyone involved in an accident. However, this incident proves good footage of carnage is worth more to some than helping those in need.

[Image Credit | Peter Dazeley / Getty Images, Lorain Police Department]