“To take that video and put it on Facebook, it just shows you have no principles.”
As a young man lay dying in a burning vehicle, Paul Pelton decided to enter the car.
Not to help Cameron Friend, who later died, or his critically injured friend Zachary Goodin — but to film the aftermath of the Ohio accident in the hope of selling the footage to news networks.
While others were helping the critically injured boys, 41-year-old Pelton opened the back door and leaned in to film the crisis — then walked around to tape the clearly suffering driver, Goodin. Sickeningly, Pelton allegedly muttered while filming his sordid video that the suffering victims were “idiots”.
It’s behaviour most would agree is appalling — and now Pelton has been arrested after failing to help the two teenage boys trapped in the car.
The devastating crash took place on 13 July, when 17-year-old Zachary Goodin reportedly drove across railway tracks, crashing into a home on Kansas Avenue in Ohio.
Goodin was critically injured in the accident, which claimed the life of his friend and passenger, Cameron Friend.
The incident was witnessed by Pelton, 41, who filmed the accident with the intention of selling the footage to news networks. The Lorain Police Department reported that Pelton opened the back door of the car following the crash, leaning in the burning vehicle to film the aftermath of the accident before police and rescue workers arrived on the scene.
That video was later posted to Facebook .
His actions have been condemned by the police and community, and Pelton has since been charged with vehicular trespassing.
“We searched to try to find anything to charge him with,” detective Buddy Sivert told Reuters, adding that “it is not a crime to stick a camera where a kid is dying or try to sell it.
“Persons are not, however, allowed to trespass into a person’s vehicle criminally and without permission for the seemingly singular cause of filming a young man’s dying moments for profit.”
Denise White, a resident of the street where the incident occurred has labelled Pelton’s actions “disgusting”.
“To take that video and put it on Facebook, it just shows you have no principles.” she told 19 Action News.
On Facebook, the police department reminded citizens that they are encouraged to help one another in emergencies.
“The Lorain police department would like to remind citizens that they are allowed and encouraged to help one another in emergencies if they can do so safely, and that rendering aid or comfort to a dying young man and his severely injured friend is a commendable and kindly act,” Captain Watkins said.
If convicted, Pelton will face a $250 fine and a maximum jail term of 30 days.
His morbid video has since been removed from Facebook.
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Top Comments
The real nightcrawler
This is just sickening. How this filth can live with himself for doing such a thing is beyond me.
Unfortunately people like him don't have a conscience or basic decency. He won't feel bad for what he's done. Poor excuse for a human being right there.
To be honest, this description would equally apply to almost every outraged online vigilante which we are seeing more and more these days.
This behavior is no different to the papparazzi who filmed Princess Diana in her accident or the many that push cameras into the faces of celebrity' children siting the fact that they are "in a public place so that makes it legal"
I think (hope) you are agreeing with me. Given the prevalence of smartphones almost everyone is now a potential papparazzi or internet vigilante. Please. Just put the damn phone down!