I helped an unconscious accident victim when no one else would. Did I do the right thing?
I was on my way to a friend’s wedding with three of my friends when, near Chembur, two bikes crashed right in front of us.
We immediately stopped the car and rushed to help.
One of the riders (in his 30s) had gotten up and was in pain. People had already gathered around him, asking if he was okay. But no one was going near the other man — an older uncle in his 50s — who was lying face down on the road, bleeding from his mouth and unconscious.
Everyone was just standing and talking.
So me and one of my friends went ahead and flipped him over. He was breathing heavily. Within minutes, more people gathered — maybe 10–15 — and everyone started shouting things like “Call an ambulance!” and “Take him to the hospital!”
One of my friends called for an ambulance… but it was 2 hours away.
Then an autorickshaw driver stopped. We asked him if he could take the uncle to the hospital, and he agreed immediately. Again, people started shouting “Lift him! Lift him!” — but no one actually stepped forward, especially because there was blood near his head.
At that point, I stopped thinking and just acted.
I picked him up from his arms, two other guys held his legs, and we got him into the auto. By then, he had regained a bit of consciousness. I told him, “Don’t worry, you’ll be in the hospital in 10 minutes.”
I gave ₹200 to the auto driver, and around the same time a traffic police officer arrived, so we explained the situation and left.
Only after getting back into the car did I notice something strange — I saw what looked like blood on my friend’s arms. I asked him to check with the flashlight… nothing. Then I checked mine.
My forearms were completely covered in blood.
I was wearing a black shirt and white pants — my pants were stained too. I tried cleaning it with tissues and water, but it didn’t really come off fully. Still, I went to the wedding like that.
What I learned from this:
The bystander effect is real.
People will gather, talk, and shout instructions — but very few actually step in.
Always wear a helmet.
The uncle was wearing one, and I genuinely think it reduced the severity of his head injury.
Sometimes you just have to act.
I didn’t overthink it — I just did what needed to be done. And honestly, I feel good about that.