When people get together in a time of crisis, miracles can happen.
When these New Yorkers saw one of their fellow people get hit by a Mercedes SUV and trapped underneath, they all lept in to help. According to Twitter user @ColbyDroscher, he witnessed more than a dozen New Yorkers lift and rescue a hit-and-run victim trapped underneath a Mercedes SUV, caught the whole thing on his phone, and shared it with the world to critique.
Check out the amazingness that is the people of New York below.
Just now at Delancey and Norfolk in the Lower East Side an accident ran over a pedestrian trapping them under an SUV. Onlookers just lifted the SUV, dragging the victim out. pic.twitter.com/uq1IHcSJ9k
— help how do i change this (@colbydroscher) January 26, 2020
Just now at Delancey and Norfolk in the Lower East Side an accident ran over a pedestrian trapping them under an SUV. Onlookers just lifted the SUV, dragging the victim out. pic.twitter.com/uq1IHcSJ9k
— help how do i change this (@colbydroscher) January 26, 2020
According to one helper who replied to the video gone viral above, this allegedly was a case of hit and run where the Mercedes SUV driver hit a pedestrian and tried to drive off, but not before hitting car in front of them, blocking their exit.
They were lifting wrong side of SUV. Was on other side with others lifting wheel on passenger side off her ankle. She was able to crawl out on her own before this. Looked like driver tried to keep going, but hit a car in the intersection. Woman was lucky she wasn’t crushed. pic.twitter.com/IiR3SdotGb
— AmbientHex (@AmbientHex) January 27, 2020
Colby Droscher spoke with the NY Post shortly after where he described his experience.
“As I approached, there were big crowds forming all around the intersection. All of a sudden everyone ran to lift the car, it all happened so fast.”
The Mercedes GLE 250D is one heavy crossover weighing around 4,700 pounds. In comparison, a regular Honda Civic sedan weighs just 2,700 pounds, still heavy but not quite the heavyweight that these modern crossovers have become.
I can count a little over a dozen onlookers who initially rushed in and started lifting. Some rough maths and these New Yorkers are dead lifting well over 200 pounds each to get an entire GLE off the ground for a couple of seconds.
The New York Post goes onto say that the victim was rushed to the hospital but no further update was given. Colby did tweet out a followup showing the victim on her back and on her phone so presumably she’s OK.
The woman is awake and on her phone. pic.twitter.com/BhGYSZpfn0
— help how do i change this (@colbydroscher) January 26, 2020
It’s been said that together, people can achieve more, and while it’s up to science actually prove that regarding cars, there is some research that says people perceive heavier objects differently when working together, mainly that the overall task is lighter than when by yourself.
In most other cities, I’d say it’d be hard to round up a handful of people to help lift a car off someone as quick as these New Yorkers worked. My hats off to these fine folks for their quick thinking, selflessness, and how they carried on their way like it was just another Sunday.
