“No Don’t!” – A Scooter vs. Minivan Incident on Upshur (Friday Night)

IMG_3468, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

From an Eyewitness:

“As I was thinking to myself, “what a nice evening”, I hear the sound of a scooter coming up the 4100 block of 4th Street. I look over an watch two teenage boys joyriding helmetless on a scooter. They slow down for the stop sign, but then pull out onto Upshur in an attempt to cross to the 4200 block without stopping. Then they do stop – in the middle of the street – as I hear one of them shout “no don’t!”

I don’t know if that was said to the scooter driver or to the minivan driver who squealed into the scene and struck the boys on their scooter. Headed west on Upshur, the minivan driver pulled over immediately and stuck her head out of her car and asked, twice, loudly, “Is he okay? Are they alright?” Then she drove off.

Yes, she left the scene, and I can see that becoming the central point to the story. But before we judge her as heartless or mean, as those at the scene already were, I think she was freaked. She just hit two neighborhood boys and seemed shocked and scared. Speeding off, I hope and believe she was headed to a safe spot (home?) to call the cops, rather than face the growing crowd at the scene.

Would the arriving people know that the boys didn’t stop? Would they blame her for their foolishness? And can we feel empathy and sadness for both? The teenagers now headed to the hospital and the driver shaking with fear?”