14 DAY TRIAL // On Friday night, during a severe snowstorm, a man by the name of Jim Moffett was trying to help three older people cross a road, after they all disembarked from a bus. The citizen then noticed a pick-up truck through the blizzard, and pushed the others out of harm's way. The car hit him and threw him to the ground, causing him serious injuries, which required him being committed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a nearby hospital. On Wednesday, he was still in hospital, in critical, but stable condition.
His relatives were amazed and disappointed when they saw the police coming in and issuing a citation for Moffett, for jaywalking. They couldn't believe their eyes that the man who had just saved three lives was accused of a felony. And here's the kicker – the bus stop was not located anywhere near a crosswalk, so the four people should have walked a long way until they could cross the street safely.
But 58 year-old Moffett, along with another concerned citizen, decided to help the two older ladies out, by guiding them to the other side. The pick-up driver failed to notice the people on the road on account of the poor weather conditions, and hit the “Good Samaritan” head-on. Following the accident, Moffett suffered from brain hemorrhaging, some broken bones, a dislocated shoulder and, possibly, a ruptured spleen. Instead of awarding him a medal for his gesture, authorities decided to fine him.
They say that the accident wouldn't have happened if the two men hadn't decided to help the seniors out. On the other hand, family members point out, the accident wouldn't have taken place if there had been a crosswalk at the bus stop, as it should. Police officials argue that they have no idea why there isn't such a marked path at the Denver location, and have launched an investigation into the matter.
It remains to be seen how things will unfold. Hopefully, the authorities will come to realize the courage of the man they are fining, and maybe they can place a medal right beside the piece of paper asking him for money for saving the lives of three other people.