Bizarre, International, Torts

Rude Awakening: Woman Falls Asleep on Scooter and Collides With Truck

This incredible video shows a Russian woman falling asleep while driving a scooter down a highway. She is jolted awake when she collides with the side of a truck. The most incredible aspects of the film is that the woman does not appear seriously injured and is able to walk away.

The viral video says that the accident happened on a highway in Sochi, in southwest Russia at 7 am. It is amazing that she was not hit by the truck that passed her, which was incredibly reckless in cutting in front of her in a merging lane with what looks like just a few feet of space.

By the way, I often teach the liability of rescuers in torts and note that most people are incredibly well-meaning but often lacking in judgment in responding to accidents. One of the worse things that you can do in such an accident is force the injured party to her feet or pull her to the side of the road. Many of the worst injuries are sustained after a crash when a person’s neck or spin are snapped by such movement. This is why trained personnel leave the person until they can be lifted with a crash board after examination.

Overall, however, jurors are extremely deferential to rescuers who are potentially liable for injuries caused by negligent rescues in torts.

15 thoughts on “Rude Awakening: Woman Falls Asleep on Scooter and Collides With Truck”

  1. I don’t have much information, but this practice of having people get up on their feet seems to be common in Europe. I have seen it twice. Once in France and another time in Portugal.

    The time in Portugal, a Nun got hit by a car and it knocked her about five feet forward onto the cobblestone street. I ran out of the restaurant and went up to help her. She was about 55 or so years old. A crowd of people tried to help her up and I, in vain, tried to motion/prevent them from doing this but they were too determined to help her to her feet. She was hit on the side of her femur and hip and I feared a hip fracture. But there was nothing I could do.

    the people were certainly well meaning but some public education surely was in order there.

  2. Onlooker from Troy, I have read that having cameras mounted to car dashboards is a common thing in Russia and like Mr’ Ed says, there are tons of them on YuoTube. Maybe it’s in response to (if the posted vids are any indication) the poor driving habits and the need for proof in court after an auto accident. Yes, I spend way too much time on YouTube watching Russian/Eastern European driving fails. 🙂

  4. That woman is not fine. Her atlas has shifted even more on the stop of her spine interrupting – pinching the nerve’s, and blood vessels going to her brain. Atlas Orthoganol, Grostic which is a lot like NUCCA would be a good technique. Blair would be good too.

  7. Reminds me of National Lampoons Vacation w/ Chevy Chase falling asleep in the family station wagon.

  8. Not really relevant but: why did these people have a camera mounted and running? Just seems strange. People do all kinds of strange though.

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