Anthony Hatcher, associate professor of communications, published an online essay about the failure of witnesses to come forward after his recent car crash. The essay appeared on the Greensboro News & Record website.
Hatcher writes:
“I had just a second to find the brakes before plowing into the passenger side of the oncoming vehicle, spinning it around 180 degrees. I got out of my car in the middle of the intersection and confirmed what I already knew: I had the green light, and the driver I hit had run the red.
“He remained at the wheel of his car, his forehead bloody. As I walked over to check on him, cars were waiting on Spring Street for the light to change to green. When it did, no one stopped. Other drivers wove around us, eager to be on their way.
“I called 911, and the dispatcher was already aware of the accident. Had someone who witnessed the collision called it in and then left the scene?”
Ambivalent about cameras at intersections prior to the incident, Hatcher now feels differently: “I am now an advocate for red light cameras. Big Brother? Bring him on. At least he’d show what really happened.”
The essay is available online at http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/05/23/article/wheres_the_justice.