Crash Kills Pedestrian, 65

NHI I am really disheartened to see that you saw fit to show a gratuitous clip of this man lying in the street getting chest compressions. What does that add to the story and how would you feel if it was your family member? My mother was hit by a car as a pedestrian and killed and I can tell you seeing something like this would have been very upsetting to our family.

Thought the NHI was above posting such an inappropriate video.
"Hamden firefighters worked at the scene to keep him alive." Nothing more needed.
Can't name persons arrested but okay with naming and showing the gruesome final moments of a human being dying?
Very disappointing.

[Paul: Thanks for the feedback. My reasoning was: The person's face is not visible. We see public service people performing heroically. There is value is showing that in a way that words don't capture. I believe there is value in showing in an added way what happens when pedestrians get hit by cars; many people, including me, believe that society is not taking the carnage on our roads seriously enough, perhaps because we are not confronted with the impact it has on human lives. I respect your critique and believe you may be correct and we may be wrong about these judgment calls; I agree that human dignity and personal privacy are crucial concerns to take into account as well. Just wanted to explain why we published it.]

The video is unnecessary. Imagine how you would feel Paul if it was your loved one?

Paul I'm disappointed in your response to the criticism of NHI posting video of this gentleman getting chest compressions in the middle of Dixwell Ave. I bet had this been a white Yale department chair or partner at Wiggin & Dana who got CPR on a downtown street that this video would not have been posted regardless of the intention.

It should be seen how car violence impacts pedestrians and cyclists. Too often, news media (not NHI) whitewashes reality by calling these "accidents" and by minimizing the extent of victims' injuries. Even police reports do this. Up in Hartford, a driver hit my friend with a borrowed vehicle she was driving without a license. She was allowed to drive away from the scene by police. His injuries involved an ambulance ride, immediate surgery, and hospital stay. Four months later he's still in physical therapy and has another surgery scheduled in a few weeks. The crash report described his injuries as "minor."

Having had family members die from car violence, I can say that if a video of their deaths would have convinced others to drive more safely and prevent the deaths of others, I would absolutely have been fine with it. The video in this post does not show the victim's face. It gives a dose of reality to those who are still having trouble grasping that when they get behind the wheel of a car, they absolutely can cause this scene if they are driving too fast and not paying attention.

What is the speed limit on this part of Dixwell ave? Why no details about charges against the driver? Did they run? Will this murder be included in the ever growing count of NH homicides in 2021?

Until we treat pedestrians and cyclists with respect and show that this town belongs to THEM and not to cars, things won't change.

There would be fewer opportunities to be confronted with disturbing images like this one if we, collectively, decided that the carnage caused by drivers on our streets was unacceptable.

But instead, we decide that a certain level of human suffering is acceptable. That streets closed to children and families in resident neighborhoods in favor of speeding drivers is the way things are done. That "accidents" happen, and except in the case of intoxication, no criminal sanctions for killing and maiming are warranted.