Bad Advice

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LindseyKaufman

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Aug 21, 2007
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Frequently, I see on this forum the following advice. "If you are in a car accident, drive away, or face consequences."

If a reader happens to have followed this advice and last night, hit a motor cyclist around Sosua beach, I want him to know this.

The man he hit was the night security guard, the supervisor, at Infiniti Blu. Yes, he was Haitian, but he had values that I admire in the best of humanity. Honesty. Good work ethic. Unwillingness to be paid a bribe. Integrity. He felt that, although his job required him to use an electronic stick to walk the grounds and check in at every building within a certain time period at Infiniti Blu, he felt that he also had to be a good example for other night security guards, helping them to overcome sleep and do their job as expected.

This man had a wife and 6 year old child. He lived in a shack in Los Charimicos. Did not drink alcohol. Did not use drugs. He used his money to help his family make a better life.

If you were in the SUV that hit him last night, killed him, and drove away, I want you to know that you took the life of a fine human being, someone who would not have made the choice you did.

Maybe you feel good that you avoided the law. But at some level, there is something or someone to answer to, be it karma, or God, or guilt.

I only wish that I could be as good a human being as this man was. As for you, you followed bad advice.

Lindsey
 
chico bill

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
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LindseyKaufman said:
Frequently, I see on this forum the following advice. "If you are in a car accident, drive away, or face consequences."

If a reader happens to have followed this advice and last night, hit a motor cyclist around Sosua beach, I want him to know this.

The man he hit was the night security guard, the supervisor, at Infiniti Blu. Yes, he was Haitian, but he had values that I admire in the best of humanity. Honesty. Good work ethic. Unwillingness to be paid a bribe. Integrity. He felt that, although his job required him to use an electronic stick to walk the grounds and check in at every building within a certain time period at Infiniti Blu, he felt that he also had to be a good example for other night security guards, helping them to overcome sleep and do their job as expected.

This man had a wife and 6 year old child. He lived in a shack in Los Charimicos. Did not drink alcohol. Did not use drugs. He used his money to help his family make a better life.

If you were in the SUV that hit him last night, killed him, and drove away, I want you to know that you took the life of a fine human being, someone who would not have made the choice you did.

Maybe you feel good that you avoided the law. But at some level, there is something or someone to answer to, be it karma, or God, or guilt.

I only wish that I could be as good a human being as this man was. As for you, you followed bad advice.

Lindsey
Click to expand...

Any description or witness ? Was it an just an accident or something more sinister ?
 
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LindseyKaufman

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chico bill said:
Any description or witness ? Was it an just an accident or something more sinister ?
Click to expand...

Honestly, I don't know. I went to the funeral. The only ging(a)o amongst Haitians. The victim was there only for one hour, wrapped in plastic. Obviously, there was not money for embalming or cremation. We were told he would be in the funeral home only one hour so they could bury him.

This happened at midnight. I suspect someone had too much to drink and hit him. Others at the funeral wanted to show me photos and tell me details, but I declined.

Lindsey
 
chico bill

chico bill

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Yes very sad news. I have half a dozen good Haitian friends, and even though they were born in DR, they are treated badly. These friends would never think to steal, although they have almost no chance at good jobs and live in very meager conditions in Montellano o Charimico.
May this man find his reward in the after life.
 
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Seamonkey

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Oct 6, 2009
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Very sad....but reality is the gringo is always at fault even when not. In this case the black SUV was at fault? or was it an accident? Not meaning it was driven by a gringo, but if it was, the gringo would have gone to jail and the family's lawyer would have asked for some extremely large amount of money and extorted the gringo. It never fails. The gringo then goes home through Haiti and never returns to the DR. So who is as fault here? Usually the lawyer as the family would settle for very much less. Rules of the road remain the same....never stop. Sad and inhumane but true.
 
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Expat13

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Jun 7, 2008
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Yes very sad. Not knowing or saying it would make a difference but did the moto have lights on and did he wear a helmet? I have had too many close calls at night with motos coming out of nowhere and its very scary when you almost hit one. Rules need to be enforced full circle before these accidents will lessen as well drivers may never stop as long as the lawless society that exists on the streets where the driver, not the moto is at fault, and if a gringo is anywhere in sight the guilt is his. Its very sad when a good person dies like this but when the system is broken it will not change.
 
chico bill

chico bill

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Expat13 said:
Yes very sad. Not knowing or saying it would make a difference but did the moto have lights on and did he wear a helmet? I have had too many close calls at night with motos coming out of nowhere and its very scary when you almost hit one. Rules need to be enforced full circle before these accidents will lessen as well drivers may never stop as long as the lawless society that exists on the streets where the driver, not the moto is at fault, and if a gringo is anywhere in sight the guilt is his. Its very sad when a good person dies like this but when the system is broken it will not change.
Click to expand...

How many have almost hit motos at night with no lights ? Everyone who has driven at night
 
beeza

beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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Is it really bad advice to not stop at the scene of an accident as a foreigner driving around these parts? The chances are high that cruel and swift street justice could be dealt out on the spot once the crowd gathers.

As tragic as this accident was, and an innocent man lost his life needlessly. The laws and the medical system do not favor the foreigners driving here.

I still go by the advice that if you are involved in an accident and you are alone and your vehicle is drivable, continue and stop at the nearest police station and report it.

But to not report it, could then be deemed as murder rather than an unfortunate accident.
 
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DonDR

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Jul 14, 2010
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It is always sad when something like this happens. May he rest in peace ...
Taking into account that it happened on the weekend it might be a Dominican driver of SUV - they come from Santiago to have fun in Sosua everyweek. Some of them drink crazier than gringos.
 
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SKY

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There is less chance of a Dominican with an SUV stopping than any gringo.
 
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wrecksum

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Sep 27, 2010
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It's difficult to see what good could have come out of the vehicle driver stopping.It would be naive to think that some sympathetic and understanding cop would analyse the scene forensically or that a counsellor would be on hand to deal with the traumatic incident.

Like yourself,the police would assume the guilt and responsibility of the SUV driver and bang him,or her,up in jail until a substantial amount of time and money had changed hands,unless the mob rule got in first of course.

I can't see what good this would do to your deceased friend.

It is an unfortunate legacy in the laws of this place.

I know three persons killed by motoconchos in the last 18 month and I had a lucky escape myself so there must be many,many more so I don't have much sympathy with the local moto riders but you seem to have been attached to this poor guy so it's a sad story.
 
Cdn_Gringo

Cdn_Gringo

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Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend Lindsay. Driving in this country especially in the dark has it's inherent risks. Many who claim otherwise are in denial. The lack of driver education, law enforcement, a willingness to follow any rules of the road and the regular practice of driving while intoxicated make it so.

A strong sense of personal responsibility is not known among local drivers and is a state of mind quickly adopted by many foreigners as they adapt to the reality of their new home. Lacking a realistic expectation of any driver receiving fair treatment under the law even if totally guilty of an offense ensures this will happen again and again.

The good ones always seem to be the first to go.
 
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LindseyKaufman

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Aug 21, 2007
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Here are are the details. It seems the driver of the vehicle may not have been 100% at fault.

The security guard was driving home. He is not a motor concho. His friend was on another motor and was very drunk. The friend fell. The security guard stopped his bike and walked back to get the drunk friend. As he was picking him up, the car came, running over them both. The security guard died immediately on the scene, as the car ran over his head and chest. The drunk friend died at the hospital.

Overall, I think Beeza's advice is the best in a situation such as this. The driver should have gone immediately to the police to report the accident and explain the situation.

There are some discrepancies whether it was an SUV or car.

When something like this happens, I always try to look for the lesson in it for me. I have always avoided driving at night. I had planned on teaching night classes in Jamao and driving back afterwards. I will not do that now. I'll find a little Dominican house to rent and sleep in for the night, rather than driving.

Lindsey
 
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tmnyc

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Oct 19, 2006
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LindseyKaufman said:
"The driver should have gone immediately to the police to report the accident and explain the situation."
Click to expand...

I'm not advocating any particular course of action, however there is nothing to explain. IF you go to the authorities, be prepared to be taken into custody as a defendant in a criminal/civil case and if you are a foreigner you better have very deep pockets. That goes for "Good Samaritans" as well.

LindseyKaufman said:
"When something like this happens, I always try to look for the lesson in it for me."
Click to expand...

Lessons learned for this American couple? (which has similarities with the OP's scenario):

http://www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/index.ssf/2015/11/overseas_arrest_strands_vacati.html
https://kobi5.com/news/oregon-couple-jailed-in-dominican-republic-return-27030/
 
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J

jd426

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Dec 12, 2009
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tmnyc said:
I'm not advocating any particular course of action, however there is nothing to explain. IF you go to the authorities, be prepared to be taken into custody as a defendant in a criminal/civil case and if you are a foreigner you better have very deep pockets.



Lessons learned for this American couple? (which has similarities with the OP's scenario):

http://www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/index.ssf/2015/11/overseas_arrest_strands_vacati.html
https://kobi5.com/news/oregon-couple-jailed-in-dominican-republic-return-27030/
Click to expand...


Good as an example perhaps

but Staying at the scene of an Accident you did not even cause , a fatality no less ?
Sorry, this is the Height of stupidity, and in one way they deserved this harsh lesson,.
When the Locals are telling you to get the heck out of there and even offer you a ride to GET, and you refuse to leave??
What were they gonna do,"Esssplain" it to the Crooked cops who were on the way.
at some point YOU become the stupid one. Just because they are a nice couple does not mean they did not earn this badge of sheer stupidity.
Some people need to stay home and don't even get on that plane..Just because you have a passport does make you qualified to Rent a Car in a foreign Country like the DR.
I personally did not Rent a Car for my first 7 years visiting, cuz I saw immediately what a Cluster F** this country is..
If my words bother anyone.. sorry,.,.. just my opinion.
 
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