Local and Social media - misbehaviour

[digger]

I am very peeved at the moment and I hope I can explain why..
Let me first advise of the circumstances:-

Last Tuesday we had the unpleasant task of attending a MVA at an intersection on the edge of town where a young lad lost his life.

I was off duty so attended with CFS as part of road rescue/fire crew (driving second truck so fill in whichever may have been required). Unfortunately as I said a young man misjudged the distance of an oncoming b double and pulled across in front of it (less than 45 metres away travelling at 80k) wearing the impact directly on the drivers door and B pillar of his small station wagon. He was killed instantly as the car was ripped almost in two, the B pillar ripped completely away and he was thrown from the car to the roadway. An incredibly harsh penalty to a young bloke for one seconds misjudgement.

For those who don't know, once someone at the scene is declared life extinct or injured severely and likely or possibly going to die , strict evidence rules apply to the scene and everything in it.

That means once anyone alive is removed from the scene and the scene is rendered safe by attending services, then everything else must be left in situ, this includes the deceased. Obviously what needs to be covered is covered as soon as possible and the scene is preserved.

This was all done, the passenger (injured ) was removed to hospital, the poor truck driver also taken to hospital for checks -(obviously he was in shock)
the deceased was covered, car, scene and truck all cordoned off with cones and traffic directed around the whole intersection.

Major Crash Investigation Section attended about 2.5 hrs later (pretty good as we are almost 2 hours from their base in ADELAIDE.) and after the initial examination of the scene and the deceased he was removed from the scene.

About 7 hours after we first attended we packed up and headed back to the station.

OK here is where/why I have my goat up...

On arrival back at the station we were told that the whole scene had been photographed prior to the arrival of emergency services and posted on facebook immediately! This included pictures of the deceased lad lying on the roadway!

I find this unbelievable, obviously the next of kin had no idea their son had been in a collision let alone that he was dead but there it all was posted up on social bloody media! (bastards!)

To compound this, the local paper have a long standing agreement with emergency services where they have access to a scene (eg: in the emergency services cordon- not the actual scene) to take photographs etc for their job. There is a briefing every year for this where it is stressed that there is no photos to include injured (without permission) or deceased or contaminated areas (eg blood stain/splatter pool etc etc)- along with training for safety etc (as scenes includes fires/ accidents etc etc)

The paper have attended the scene and been directed to a clearing to park before reporting to the group officer and the Police officer in charge of the scene to be advised and to take their photos. They have taken photographs from this point, showing the car and the blood stained blanket covering the deceased. Even worse they've taken video of the scene and then focussed on the car and the bloody blanket over the deceased lad.

Making this worse (as if it could be!) they've then led with a photograph on their front page showing the devastated car and the blanket over the deceased (but thankfully it doesn't show the blood staining).

They have then (just to make sure the town has exploded in anger against them) posted the video they took to their facebook site! The protests have been thick and fast and now they've edited the video so it shows the scene etc and the sheet over the body but cuts before they fully focus in like it was originally posted but left the rest online!!

Then they've written their story naming a local as being first on scene (she wasn't - she was probably 5th or 6th), and saying it occurred directly outside her business (thats 200 metres down the road) and giving three quotes allegedly from her (all of which she not only denies but is incredibly mad about).

So my beef (I hope) is obvious.

Why do people not realise that they are putting stuff out into the ether and out on the newspaper front page where everyone, friends, and relatives of those involved may see?
And why does it need to be shown to people who try not to think about this stuff as it disturbs them or brings back memories of others lost?

While I am at it,
what the hell makes someone think its OK to slow down and stare or even worse VIDEO on their phones etc the scene as they pass??
what kind of ghoul does that???

What 'knob" then "likes" that and or "shares" it??

I am increasingly disappointed by people now days when we are at scenes. Its amazing how many people need to take their dog for a walk at 2am and loiter around the edge of the scene of serious accidents etc...

The collision occurred at a cross road across a major highway and the day after the long weekend ended (and as such because the school holidays were on, many delayed their travel until the tuesday trying to avoid the traffic but instead moving it from Monday to Tuesday.)

People still, even with fire trucks, police cars etc placed across roads and cones and detour signs etc erected seem to believe that:
a) the detour/road closed sign doesn't apply to them or that
b) they can barter their way around the signs with whomever is manning the point !
c) a few even drove through the cones trying to cross through the scene, these were stopped (one nearly ran over a firey) they were then issued fines for entering the scene and had to supply a statement to be delivered to the coroner by being included in the coronors file which is prepared. In that statement they are required to state why they entered the scene.
d) recently (at another serious collision/fatal) we had the road closed, a rescue chopper sitting in the middle of the highway being loaded and a bozo decided to try and drive through!! Needless to say he left his car on the side of the road until bail was granted.


Anyway I am very disappointed with elements of the community and now you know why...


(on the other side of this there are a lot of people who shine at these moments and as a result of them by going way beyond anything expected of them and to those I am eternally greatful for and to them )

anyway Rant Over.... thanks!

[V8Ian]

I can empathise with you and the tragic situation Digger.
A couple of years ago I was held up on the Bruce Highway, along with a considerable amount of other light and heavy traffic, following a fatal incident. Similarly, on last day of school holidays, at 2am a woman in a 4x4 station wagon with a number of kids, left the road and rolled multiple times. All were injured, a young boy fatally. I was appalled at some of the callous comments and complaints by a minority of held up motorists. The threats of violence and expressions of anger from some of the 'rough, tough' truckies was applauded.
Another time, as an SES member, we had to attend a light plane crash on a road. It was amazing how many vehicles had to drive back and forth, multiple times through the contraflow.
Many of the public seem to totally lack respect for these poor victims. Would they appreciate a little privacy and consideration if it were them in the situation?
Look after yourself Digger.

[Chops]

I empathize with the friends and relatives of the young man.

Years ago, I woke to a radio report that my best mate had been shot and killed. It's got to be THE worst way of finding out this type of information. His wife was distraught that she couldn't get to tell me before it went to air.

Keep up the good work Nigel, I feel for you mate.

[trog]

people are ghouls, whatever the form of media. Television for example do not need to endlessly loop the scenes of an incident to show the "emotion". I would have thought good journalism would convey the image tactfully and tastefully with words.

[TerryO]

On a different tack but also relating to ghoulish behaviour at road accidents I have a habit of turning on the two way when I come across a traffic jam on the freeway, so I can get an idea if the traffic is actually moving or how long the delay might be.

On a number of occasions I have heard truck drivers cursing the police and rescue services for taking so long to open the road. Some of the insulting and insensitive crap I have heard makes me wonder what kind of low life scum some of these people are.

No wonder the police hound truckies because they to would be listening to this discusting bile filled moronic rubbish that some of them blurt out.

By the way Digger thank you for being one of those selfless people who go out and assist at these tragic and often horrific scenes. I for one could not do that kind of job, again thank you.

[flyinglandrover]

You are right on the money Digger! I am sure the social media thing is just to be able to say they were there or first to post details! Just shows how pathetic some of these people are. Will there be any repercussions to the social media poster? You would hope so!
Keep your head down and take care

[DAMINK]

Very sad for the families this one i have to say first of all!
But this plays out daily in a variety of ways and has for a very long time.

How many people could drive past a road accident and not slow down to look?
Every accident i have passed this is common. Well not common this is standard practice. Does not make it right but it does happen.

liveleaks or the old ogorish is a good example.
There are a lot of people who enjoy watching others get hurt or even die.
Remember the beheadings, they were very popular videos on the web.

Where does one draw the line i have to ask.
We see Allied planes dropping bombs from miles away killing people every day on the news. Sure we dont see the blood and guts (unless you go to places like liveleaks) but we do see the devastation and can imagine the carnage within.
Fundamental difference there is its murder instead of an accident.

The public must enjoy watching it or the press would not play it.
Or perhaps its desensitization of the public we are seeing play out.

Just my take on the situation.

Sad as the situation may be.

[digger]

Thanks guys,

Terry we have found the opposite, that is when we have a road closure or delay the truckies pretty much self regulate, we had a truck move his vehicle across the roadway blocking both lanes (diagonal trailers) and when we asked why he told us he was pretty upset when he saw people trying to get through while we were cutting away at the cars!! So he made it a no choice situation for them.

Other truckies also hound down any that get too out of line especially on the radio, its suprising how many are either current or ex emergency services.

There is one particular company however who are likely to be stopped each time when we are doing traffic stop/go each end after the collision the other day, they were making sport of how many traffic cones they could run over on their way through. Besides messing our cones up (they were clipping them not crushing them, it got to us because we could hear them on the uhf keeping score, so each one of that company got stopped and asked individually not to bowl the cones, all bar one asked didnt run them over...

(that all being said its relatively harmless and no one was put in any danger etc by this "game!)

[Roverlord off road spares]

You would think with all the shock and horror it would change people's attitudes on how to behave on the roads, but it doesn't.
People have become to blase and complacent .

[p38arover]

By the way Digger thank you for being one of those selfless people who go out and assist at these tragic and often horrific scenes. I for one could not do that kind of job, again thank you.

It's not often I agree with Terry, but I certainly do so here!