Should We Be Shaming the Woman Who Saw a Fatal Car Crash and Walked Away Eating Pizza?

[Liberal_in_LA]

The white spot by the car wheel is the victim. Pizza woman, stopped took a look at the victim, then took a big bite of pizza. Much discussion about her actions on internet

Video footage from security cameras near the site of a fatal Sunday car crash in Brooklyn shows a woman turning toward the crash an instant after it happens, then turning back around and walking away while eating pizza:

The DNAInfo site reports that a 30-year-old woman on the sidewalk was killed when the car—driven by an unlicensed, uninsured 39-year-old man who has been cited three times since Nov. 18 for speeding in school zones—suddenly swerved over the curb and hit her.


Reaction online has not been kind to the woman with the pizza, for obvious reasons: It seems like she's being incredibly heartless. It's probably worth noting, though, that going into shock during and in the immediate aftermath of catastrophic events is apparently a frequent enough occurrence that there's a technical name for it: "peritraumatic dissociation," which can involve "emotional numbing, reduction in awareness of one's surroundings, depersonalization, and amnesia." That's according to this journal article in the National Institutes of Health's library, which says that reports of such phenomena in the aftermath of shocking events are "very common." In other words, while we can praise the individuals in the video who ran toward the crash to help, it seems entirely possible that the woman who walked away was not making a consciously callous choice but simply wasn't in her right mind.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/12/07/brooklyn_car_crash_video_woman_sees_accident_eats_pizza_walks_away.html


VIDEO: Woman Eats Pizza While Walking Away From Fatal Fort Greene Crash

FORT GREENE — Surveillance video appeared to capture a woman calmly munching on a slice of pizza moments after an unlicensed driver hurtled onto a curb and fatally struck a 30-year-old woman Sunday on Fulton Street.

In the video, the hungry witness is shown turning to look back at the victim, Victoria Nicodemus, lying beneath the wheels of a Chevrolet, but continuing to walk down the street unfazed after the crash near South Portland Place about 5:26 p.m.

Just before walking off screen, the woman lifts her slice and takes a bite while others race to the victim's aid, the video shows.

"I don't know how you could keep eating your pizza and keep walking. There's no reason," said Lerima Guadelupe, 32, who works at a nearby bakery and saw the surveillance footage.

"At least try. Make it your business to help. Not OK. ... Wouldn't you want to help?" Guadelupe added.
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20151207/fort-greene/video-woman-eats-pizza-while-walking-away-from-fatal-fort-greene-crash

[trumad]

1. The woman could have been in shock?

Don't really know.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. We may find out. Some news outlets have posted pics enlarged enough to identify the woman

From different angles.

[951-Riverside]

2. At least she didn't stand around with her camera out video recording it...

like I've seen so many do.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

68. And, she didn't rob the victim, as happens occasionally. nt

[Snobblevitch]

4. I don't think Pizza Bastard Lady should be publicly identiefied.

I do do believer behavior ahould be challeged anywhere and everywhere. Shock my ass. I've read stories where homeless people rush to accident scenes to save lives. I don't believe in the psychobabble that excuses her inaction. I could some other sort of inaction, but not walking away eating pizza.

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. One of the other injured crawled over to help. That person is a hero

[Initech]

5. If the police need a witness, then yes.

Otherwise that woman did the right thing - just walk away and move on. No photos, no interfering. None of her business but the two drivers.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

14. I don't think you read the story

This was not a simple fender bender.

[Initech]

18. I did read the story.

Fatal accident involved. What could the bystander do? It's not like she could have prevented the accident from happening. It's not like she could magically hit an "undo" button and expect everything to be OK. What are people expecting here? Am I missing something?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

19. A simple call to 911 probably.

Stick you head in the door of the nearest business and say "Call 911, there's been an accident".

I think she's drunk. She really doesn't have a clue as to how close she came to getting hit either.

[pnwest]

101. That was my first thought, she's drunk and

it just didn't register.

[Snobblevitch]

26. How dis the Pizza Bastard Lady know how severe the injuries were?

[Skittles]

35. she doesn't, because she was too hungry

[uppityperson]

53. Maybe she could call 911, or even check on those who were hurt? She could maybe help

someone or at least even check on them?

I've seen accidents and always gone to see if I can help in any way. Yes. You are missing something.

[Initech]

60. Did you not see the finale of Seinfeld?

This is the very same thing they got arrested for. This is a serious case of life imitating art here. This is one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations that they play on the episode.

[Liberal_in_LA]

100. Your post count is near 100k

[LiberalElite]

6. My 2 cents - No.

she did seem a little surprised; she may have thought about how she had just had a close brush with death, since she was at that corner maybe 30 sec earlier. Other people ran over to try to help the victim. Maybe she saw those people running over and there was nothing else for her to do. I don't think I would have reacted like she did and just walk away but so what? Not everybody's a hero so let it go.

[LiberalElite]

17. It is? I WIN! - :-)

I watched the video a couple of times and she did seem to stagger a little, maybe in shock - maybe "only" surprise. I am tired of the cyber shaming of everybody over everything. It's like a feeding frenzy. People jump at the chance to feel superior over total strangers. They ignore the fact that several other people tried to help and go after the one who didn't.

So There - I just criticized the criticizers.

[2naSalit]

24. +1!

[LiberalElite]

25. The funny thing is - I was responding

to a post that said mine was "the correct answer" and now that post is gone. (?????????)

[easttexaslefty]

92. Agreed

n/t

[ronnie624]

95. *

[TwilightGardener]

8. Assuming she understood that someone was injured or killed (she may not have seen the

victim even if looking in that direction), then that's someone who probably can't be shamed, because she doesn't give a fuck.

[840high]

45. She gave a fuck about her pizza.

[closeupready]

50. She was hungry. Real people eat food, or they die.

Even amidst the worst events. I recall during 9/11, I left Manhattan, went home, and ate dinner. What a horrible person I am. I even had lunch the next day. !!

[TwilightGardener]

51. Well, there's a difference between a big catastrophe and a person run over--

I can do something about a person involved in an accident. I can call paramedics, or stay and give police my eyewitness account, or even just hold the victim's hand so he or she isn't alone.

[uppityperson]

54. She needed to eat that piece of pizza before checking on her fellow humans or she'd die right then?

[Skittles]

9. honestly

it seriously looks like she simply does not give a f***

[Snobblevitch]

13. That's the way I see it as well.

[one_voice]

22. this^^^

she couldn't even be bothered to dial 911. What the hell is wrong with people?!?! I mean two seconds to dial 911...

[Marr]

94. It's Brooklyn. The accident was probably being reported on 50 different phones at that moment.

[Tipperary]

62. That is exactly what I see too.

Sad.

[Throd]

10. The mob must be fed.

[Nailzberg]

12. I really want a slice now.

That's really the first thing I thought reading this article.

[LuvNewcastle]

21. That could make a very funny pizza commercial.

"Lose yourself in a slice of our pizza."

[lpbk2713]

43. Just imagine all the money Papa John's is paying Manning.

They could save a bunch by hiring her instead.

of course

[LuvNewcastle]

65. Yeah, I bet Papa John's are kicking themselves right now.

[Hoppy]

15. If it was me, what could I have done to make it better?

I am not an E.M.T. I am not a priest.

If I tried to intervene, I would probably have probably hindered appropriate help.

Other than yanking out the cell phone, there was not much else I would have been able to do.

In this case, other people approached the accident scene.


If it was me, I too, would have walked away eating my pizza.

[Skittles]

20. I was on my way to lunch and witnessed a bad car accident

I immediately lost my appetite

WTF does it matter what you can or cannot do? Legally, no, she's not obligated to assist but morally, she stinks.

[Hoppy]

31. Again, what about her stopping would have changed the outcome?

[Skittles]

34. I bet you'd wish for a better reaction if if was a loved one of yours

done here - this kinda makes me sick

[Hoppy]

37. Done here? No point in responding.

[smirkymonkey]

96. +1000

[840high]

46. Ever hear of dialing 911. She just

didn't care.

[snagglepuss]

32. What any bystander can do is stand facing oncoming traffic cautioning drivers to slow down

and directing them around the accident until police arrive.

[Hoppy]

36. But the accident was on the curb.

[Tipperary]

64. Your responses here make me sad.

Humans should always try to help others. I have stopped my car to see if I could assist at a bad accident. I have pulled over to move a turtle out of the road.

Your attitude is chilling to me.

[snagglepuss]

88. There's lots to do in such a situation such as give moral support to the person (s)

who are tending to a victim. It's possible that once someone realizes that a victim is dead he or she might faint or go into shock and then that person may need help. Another scenario is that the victim's family member or friend appears at the scene and goes hysterical. that person then needs someone who cares and can extend them some comfort. Also the people giving aid may not be paying attention to their own belongings and some jerk may take the opportunity to snatch them so someone like you could simply keep watch.

[ManiacJoe]

89. Yes, call 911 on your cell phone.

The only unacceptable answer is "do nothing".

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

16. I think she might be drunk

She seems kind of out of it.

[smirkymonkey]

42. That's what I was thinking. High or drunk.

Her lack of reaction just seems abnormal for someone not under the influence.

[DawgHouse]

69. This is what I think too.

[Quantess]

71. Agreed. I think she's drunk.

[belcffub]

23. I'm a Vol FireFighter and it is not easy to see something

and still act.

I was driving home from my actual job one day. I was the first car at a stopped light. I saw a women enter the crosswalk and vaguely made note of her. I saw she was checking her phone while crossing and that was about it.

As she passed the mid-point a car turned left and hit her. She flew through the air. I deal with car accidents on a regular basis but don't see them happening. It took me a good 5 seconds (at least in my head it might have only been a second or two) before I put my truck in park and got out to take control over the scene and start administering first aid.

Someone who has no experience with these types of things... I can see them leaving... it seems to big to them and they feel helpless... they do not want to make things worse... neither do I but feel compelled to help...

in the end the women, who was out cold when I got to her. Got up once she was alert (about a minute or so I was checking for a pulse when she started to come to) and said she fell and to leave her alone. Police arrived and she told them she fell and got on a bus and left. It was outside my district so once the police arrived and she would not allow me to render aid there was nothing more for me to do other then give the police my contact info...

So my public service announcement is to not look at your phone while crossing the street. Keep you head up and keep an eye on traffic. The accident was not her fault but being alert can keep you alive...

[Oneironaut]

27. ???

People have too much free time on their hands. Maybe she didn't think there was anything she could do to help?

What's interesting is how everybody instantly thinks the worst of everything in this country now, and is ready to start a witchhunt at a moment's notice.

[closeupready]

49. Tabloid journalists looking for their "Kitty Genovese" Pulitzer.

Sorry, this doesn't come even CLOSE to being the same thing. NONE of the recent "New York bystander does nothing/doesn't care" stories of recent years is in any way equivalent.

[uppityperson]

55. Maybe call 911? Or check on those hurt to see if they needed help?

[951-Riverside]

28. With these damn cameras everywhere now everything you do (or don't do) could be scrutinized...

by armies of online hand wringers and hen peckers who could love nothing more than to ruin someone's life while hiding behind a screen.

What do these nitwits seriously expect this woman to do?

Lift the car up?

Stare and gawk?

Roll on the ground screaming "oh my god! oh my god!"?

Crawl under the car and pet the victim's smashed up body?

Its not like she was the only person there, 3-4 other people helped immediately. People are more pissed at this woman than the loser who drove up on the sidewalk and killed the victim.

Unbelievable.

[Kelvin Mace]

30. Precisely!

This woman, if ID'd, will suffer far worse consequences than the actual driver.

[Skittles]

33. I just know what I would not do

glance over and keep eating

[uppityperson]

56. Did she call 911 or assume someone else would?

[Kelvin Mace]

29. Not everyone responds rationally to carnage

as the story points out. Sometimes people's brains just shut down. Going after this woman is NOT productive or kind. We have enough horrible things going on without keyboard vigilantism making things worse.

[JI7]

39. after seeing the video it doesn't come off as badly as i thought

she was already at the front area when the accident happened. i thought she had walked past the accident and victim and there was nobody else there.

but that's not what happened. she kept looking back also and other people rushed to the scene .

i have no idea what was going on in her mind but i don't think she should be shamed over that. maybe she was thinking how a couple minutes difference could have meant she was hit. she may have been kind of freaked out. maybe there is a chance she didn't feel anything but we don't know that.

[JI7]

40. here is the video , the one who should be shamed is the unlicensed driver who caused the accident

and who had 3 times before been cited for speeding in school zones. they also need much tougher penalties. according to what i read the driver will get probably a 500 dollar fine and at most 30 days in jail but they say plea deals usually result in no jail time.

[closeupready]

72. DU likes to pick on the low-hanging fruit.

Thus, why 'rush to judgment' on the driver, when we can waste time and energy on hounding a bystander whose actions and intelligence, mental health, etc. are all known with laser-like precision by the psychic geniuses who inhabit this message board?

[snooper2]

74. This is the epitome of ZERO FUCKS GIVEN jesus u. christ Pizza woman

absolutely zero fucks given

[Blue_Tires]

81. Damn... I can't dig up much outrage over that...

She turns around, sees multiple people already on the scene, and thinks for a moment, and figures she can do NOTHING that isn't already being done by the folks there...

[lumberjack_jeff]

41. Tongue in cheek, Douglas Adams called this phenomenon "the somebody else's problem effect"

When she's interviewed, I'm willing to bet that she'll report not knowing what she saw and perhaps only later wondering why she didn't stay at the scene.

What the hell do I know? Maybe it's just a New York thing.

[Laffy Kat]

44. The pizza rat from a couple of months ago..

Has a bigger heart.

[closeupready]

47. "We" aren't, are we? Tabloid journalism isn't reliable.

I don't know what she saw, what she was going through that day, maybe she lost her job, or her home that day? Maybe she was incapacitated and didn't realize what was really going on? Maybe she was tired, hungry? How can anyone know from that video? You can't. No possible way.

You may as well be asking why she didn't stop the attacks in Paris. If she'd been in the right place at the right time, knowing the right things, she COULD have...

Nonsense.

[dilby]

48. What was she supposed to do? She looks drunk.

Watching the video she is not walking like she was sober nor like someone who would be a first responder. She may not have noticed the victim under the card I certainly did not really notice her.

I think people just need to be outraged about something and feel morally superior.

[MADem]

52. She might be disabled. Who knows?

Maybe she was high and had drugs on her person, and didn't want to have to deal with a cop.

It's a weird occurrence. Weird enough to be news-ish. Not weird enough to hunt down the person and try to delve into their motivations.

[dilby]

57. Agreed, she has a right to privacy

And people getting this upset is just weird. Be upset at the driver and leave this woman alone she did not cause the accident and she would not have changed the outcome.

[MADem]

58. I don't know about her 'right' to privacy, she was a witness to a public

event, and maybe the cops will want to speak to her, but I just don't see the value in badgering someone about what she should have done based on what people looking at a video thought she knew and saw.

It doesn't change anything. If the cops need her insight to help figure out what went on, they'll find her and ask. If she wants to speak to the public, she will.

We just don't know her backstory, here. And her conduct doesn't change the outcome.

[SoCalDem]

63. Or she could have had ear bugs in her ears

and may not have heard anything but the music?

[Turbineguy]

59. This is also

what is thought to have happened to Captain Smith of the Titanic and Captain Schettino of the Costa Concordia. Of course ship Captains are supposed to be able to deal with these situations.

[Juicy_Bellows]

61. People forget how good pizza is in Brooklyn.

It is really good though!

[randome]

70. LOL!

[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]

[Tree-Hugger]

66. She may be an asshole

......but I hope the driver of that car rots.

[bigwillq]

67. She looked drunk, high or disabled

Not really sure what she could have done.

Others helped. Not sure how much would have changed had this woman help. She's not the one we should be placing blame on.

[Iggo]

73. It's shameful, and therefore shame-worthy.

But do what you want. There really ain't no "we" in this situation.

[RobinA]

75. We Should Not

be shaming anyone. Particularly somebody about whose circumstances we know absolutely nothing.

[LanternWaste]

76. To what specific end?

"Should We Be Shaming the Woman Who Saw a Fatal Car Crash and Walked Away Eating Pizza?"

To what specific end?

[yawnmaster]

80. I like your question. Why? what good does it do anyone?...

It is something we should be asking ourselves more often, in my opinion.

[ZombieHorde]

97. I was going to ask the same thing.

I don't give a fuck if she doesn't give a fuck.

[Warpy]

77. There is no law forcing someone to stop and/or give aid

Whatever her reason, even if she simply didn't want her pizza to get cold or she had someone waiting for her or she was high and didn't want contact with any cops or she didn't have a cell and would call from her home or she just didn't believe what she saw, we'll have to leave her to her own conscience. I'm not her judge. She is.

[Glassunion]

78. Nope. No shaming.

For one thing... Will shaming her accomplish anything?

If you feel she should be shamed. Then without any speculation, please state what exactly was she feeling, what her emotional state was, and outline what her exact state of mind was as she walked away.

[deathrind]

79. She is well with-in

Her right to walk away and do nothing like calling 911 or perhaps tending to victims if possible with out making anything worse or just remaining at the scene to give a witness statement. She should not be ID'd or shamed. Karma will take care of that. It never forgets...it may take years but eventually it comes around. Should she ever find herself walking down a sidewalk and suddenly collapsing with chest pain...she should not wonder why people are just walking past her doing nothing to help.

[Atman]

82. I think the world has become too weird for me.

But, understand...I just returned from ten days in Florida. That's enough to fuck up anyone.

[Township75]

83. So pizza shaming is the new body shaming

Hope the Internet bullies feel tough now

[KamaAina]

84. Depends. What was on the pizza?

Anchovies? Pineapple? Shame away.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

86. Nope, too tasteless.

[KamaAina]

87. Tasteless? Must have been Domino's or Papa John's.

[mythology]

90. I think far fewer people than admit it, would be capable of doing the same thing

Go look up the Milgram experiment or the Stanford Prison experiment, or the many studies on the Bystander Effect. Human nature is what it is. Some of us are better than others, but the average person will at least some of the time walk away when people need help. Go look up the story of the death of Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax.

Nobody likes to admit that they are human, but we all are. We all have days when we fall short.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

91. The accident was just a bit of dinnertime entertainment for her

it looks like.

I've been right near two bad accidents, both on the same corner, while I was walking. One was right behind me, like with her. I jumped out of my skin and then went to help as best I could. The last thing on my mind was food.

[Marr]

93. My god, people love to feel righteous.

You can't even be sure she saw the victim. People can miss a hell of a lot.

Besides, it's a busy street in Brooklyn and people were already swarming to the scene. She should be shamed for not making the 100th call to 9-11 on the topic? For not rushing in to rubberneck?

[TacoD]

98. In her defense, pizza is delicious (nt)

[itcfish]

99. How do we even know

she saw anything? Did she see the woman under the car? She could be near sighted for all we know. Why are we so judgemental? I can't imagine anyone being so cruel.

[pnwest]

102. Recently I drove past a scene where a

car was upside down in the ditch, no emergency vehicles near, and only two cars had stopped to help. Scene could not have been two minutes old.

I stopped and got out, there was a man laying on the car, peering in window, talking to and comforting the driver - a woman standing nearby said 911 had already been called they were on their way.

I am not strong enough to pull the victim out of the wreckage, I have zero tools that will help cut her free, I have zero medical training, standing there wringing my hands solves nothing, making one more call to 911 isn't going to bring them to the scene any faster, and having my car parked by the scene just takes room away from EMT's when they get there.

I got back in my car and went on my way. I made all those assessments and the decision to leave in less than 30 seconds.

Perhaps as someone else mentioned, the pizza eater looks at the scene, sees people are already rushing over, phones are being pulled out, and if not medically trained she figures she has nothing additionally useful too add to the scene - and has enough respect for human dignity to not just stand there and gawk - so she kept moving.

Perhaps she was drunk as shit, half of what she's seeing doesn't even register.

Perhaps she's an unmitigated, self-absorbed asshole. Buts let's not assume that's the only possible explanation for her actions.