Mark A. Ferguson, 27, fell about 100 feet into the Stones River on the eastern outskirts of Nashville. Nashville police said Ferguson was a good Samaritan who died tragically after he and three brothers stopped to help possible victims in a one-car accident on Interstate 40.
…Alan and John walked up the highway to alert oncoming traffic to slow down. After a single police officer arrived and took over directing traffic, the brothers regrouped.
“We talked about maybe going out and see if we can find this guy and then tell the police where to find him,’’ Alan said. “We didn’t know the situation. We thought there might be someone injured or disoriented out there.’’
Alan said the brothers had no idea they were on a bridge above a river.
“Just standing there, it felt like it was the same grade on the other side of the barrier,’’ he said.
After watching Mark quietly jump over the barricade, Alan borrowed a flashlight from the police officer to illuminate the terrain for his brother.
“That’s when we realized we had a serious situation,’’ he said.
Mark didn’t die on impact. He made his way toward the bank as his brothers scrambled to the water’s edge. They pulled Mark from the water and waited with him as other police officers arrived. He was taken by ambulance to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead from injuries in the fall.
Essentially this was a drunk-driving crash, and the departed was trying to locate the driver who had left the scene to either help police, or help him if he was injured. They didn’t realize they were on a bridge, so when he jumped over the barrier to what he thought was a ditch into the woods….
Of course all of this could have been avoided if Drunk driving were illegal! Much like how “Gun Death” could be avoided if guns were illegal!
H/T Wallphone
Another lesson to take — preparedness.
How many times have the antis talked about gun owners being paranoid because we carry a firearm and a flashlight?
Had the good Samaritan been carrying a piece of gear many gun owners carry routinely this might have been prevented. A flashlight on a belt, in a get home back/bug out bag, even a dismounted weapon light would have been extremely helpful in locating someone.
Also note the hypocrisy from the nanny staters; they often tell gun owners to ‘wait for the police’ or ‘leave it for the professionals’ but in cases like this, they praise people (rightfully) who step in to help the police. A little bit of a double standard; help the police direct traffic (very hazardous job), help police/EMTs with first aid but oh no, don’t you even think about defending yourself.
Bob beat me to it… That old saw about looking before leaping IS based on reality… Sadly, he died trying to do the right thing.
Bob S., thanks. You’re right about the “empowerment hypocrisy” angle. How many of the anti-rights people genuinely support self-help empowerment of various sorts—but flinch at self-help/self-defense with a firearm?