Video released on 7th June by a registered Weibo user, senior car reviewer @袁启聪 is shared by numerous viewers.
The footage captures a young woman making way across a pedestrian crossing. The moment she looked down, a red taxi ran into her and knocked her down. The driver hesitated for a moment, then sped off and left the scene.
The moment she looked down, a red taxi ran into her and knocked her down.
The young woman lay on the ground, visibly struggling in pain. For a moment, she tried to raise her head and stand up.
Yet she was largely ignored by the busy traffic. This included 10 passing vehicles and 20 pedestrians, as later counted by the viewers.
As time ticked on, her chance of survival became slim. It seemed like the spectators had an awareness of what was coming, and had been anticipating for it.
Sure enough, within a minute, a SUV crashed into her from the same direction.
The young woman rolled over several times from the impact. The driver must have felt the impact and approached for a closer look. But this driver, too, took off immediately.
COLD BLOODED DRIVERS AND OBSERVERS?
In fact, this accident took place on Apr 21. Yet it was only made known to the public when it went viral on Weibo. This footage has brought about mass controversies and discussions. Some defended the passerby by saying that they may be unsure of the authenticity of the accident. Some suggested that they were scared rather than indifferent, to help her. However, there are no excuses for indifference and ignorance.
Further analysis of the issue reveals a disturbing truth as such cold-blooded behavior is not a rarity, but a social norm. The footage will remain to haunt us, with a question left for us to ponder:
Will you be the next victim?
A CAR ACCIDENT WITNESSED IN NZ
Let us make a comparison with a personal experience of mine. I once witnessed a car accident that occurred in East Tamaki, Auckland.
I was walking along the footpath when I heard a loud bang from ahead. A SUV skidded in my direction and rolled over violently with a second bang. The windows shattered immediately.
People around me all exclaimed in shock. The traffic stopped and some drivers came out of their cars and rushed onto the crash scene.
The offender was a young Maori driver who had over-accelerated on a turn. He then crashed into the rear of the SUV and knocked it over.
The young man must have realized what had happened, as he pulled over and ran over to assist immediately. A few other pedestrians also rushed over to help.
Upon closer look, he realized that there were people trapped within the SUV. He thumped on the window and peered in to ensure that the passengers were conscious. As the doors were jammed, they began to smash the windows. Meanwhile, the young driver had found a broom and began sweeping the broken glass.
A lane soon cleared up for oncoming traffic and a volunteer redirected passing vehicles. Someone also rang the police to described the situation.
Every passing vehicle slowed down to evade the SUV. Some drivers even rolled down their windows to offer for assistance. Only after ensuring that no one was hurt or injured, did they leave.
The first passenger rescued from the car was a little girl at around 7 years old. She was terrified and had lost one of her shoes. My friend hugged her in his arm and tried to calm her down by gently rubbing her shoulders. Her mother soon emerged from the car as well. She collected herself, as she was handed the phone to speak to the police. An ambulance later arrived to evacuate the victims. It was a relief to see both the mother and her daughter unscathed before they left.
Without reason, my eyes became teary as I watched. I think I was overwhelmed by the kindness of the passerby. This was an incident I have experienced in New Zealand. It ended within ten minutes or so, but it would remain as a lifelong memory.
From world.nzlife.nz
