Ohio Man Recorded Teen’s Dying Moments in Fatal Crash, Taunted Victims Instead of Rendering Aid: Police
Shortly before 1 a.m. Monday, a car crashed into a house on Kansas Avenue in Lorain, Ohio.
Police said the 17-year-old driver was incapacitated and the passenger, Cameron Friend, was left unconscious. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Neighbors rushed to help the teens while they waited for paramedics. However, police said Paul Pelton, of Lorain, didn’t attempt to aid the boys. Instead, he recorded video on his cell phone.
“While others were rendering aid to these boys, a male took the opportunity to video this horrible scene with his cellphone. 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,” Lorain police told WJW. He’s accused of opening the car door as he continued to record video.
Pelton did not turn the recording over to authorities. Police said he posted the video on Facebook and attempted to sell it to at least two news stations. The Lorain Police Department called it an attempt to make a profit from “a young man’s dying moments.”
The 41-year-old was arrested on a vehicle trespass charge.
In an interview with WJW on Wednesday, Pelton told the station he was sorry for his actions.
“I apologize to the family, that’s all I have to say. Um, it’s a very unfortunate situation, uh, it put a lot of people at risk.” he said.
When asked if he should have rendered aid instead of recording the aftermath of the deadly crash, Pelton responded he wasn’t a medic. He said he checked the backseat to make sure no was there, and then alerted police to the vehicle fire when police arrived on scene.
“It was pure pandemonium,” he added. “I don’t wish that type of thing to anybody to, uh, to go through.”
The two teens, if they were speeding and got killed, are definitely idiots. Just do not spread the word around!
But come on. Trespass to a crashed vehicle? This is harassment by the police because this guy tried to make few dollars. But is this what reporters do? Have you seen the movie "Nightcrawler?".