Results tagged “goodsamaritan”

Last night, a woman trying to park her car somehow ended jumping a curb and sending her car—which also carried her two teen daughters—through a railing, off the pier and into Sheepshead Bay. Luckily, a fisherman and some others heard their cries and jumped into the water to save them. Keith Gorman, a deckhand at the Sea Queen 7, told the Daily News, "I heard a car smash. I ran through the crowd and I realized that a car went on the sidewalk and into the water... I took my boots off and my jacket and jumped over the rail and into the water."

Yay! Upon hearing screams from a Bronx building, a stranger ran up a fire escape, kicked in the window of a burning apartment and rescued a 4-year-old boy. Horia Cretan said, "I heard somebody scream, I didn't know what was happening outside. I looked up and just couldn't see nothing, there was too much smoke. I just kicked in--I kicked in gear. I put the ladder down, I went upstairs, I did the best I could."

The 33-year-old man who was struck by a falling tree branch in Central Park appears to be recovering: Sasha Blair-Goldensohn's mother Gwenda Blair told CityRoom, "He finally started responding when they said, ‘Raise your hand and open your eye.'" She also said to the Daily News, "He's slowly improving. We think that he's going to be okay."

Actor Stephen Baldwin had invited a homeless man to live in the cottage on his Rockland County estate—and now that cops have arrested the man on heroin charges. Apparently Baldwin, aka the youngest Baldwin, met the 51-year-old Jimmy Parks who was living in a tent near a McDonald's in Central Nyack; Baldwin, a born-again Christian, offered him shelter at his home in Upper Grandview. However, police became suspicious after people started to head to the cottage—Parks was allegedly dealing drugs. State Police Capt. Joseph Tripodo said, "Mr. Baldwin didn't have anything to do with this. He's says he's deeply religious and tried to help the guy out. The guy was down on his luck and he loaned him some money and gave him a place to live." Related: The actor has recently been having some mortgage problems.

The "not my baby back" cabbie who made headlines last year for his questionable Good Samartian act has now officially been charged with first-degree attempted rape. Klever Saliema is accused of forcing himself on a female passenger who had passed out during her cab ride home from Astoria to Woodside in Queens.

Yesterday afternoon, a gas tanker overturned and exploded on the NJ Turnpike near the Meadowlands. Authorities believe the tanker failed to negotiate the curve on a ramp; heavy smoke could be see for miles. Two good Samaritans driving behind the truck helped smother the flames. One, Angelia Mercado, used her coat to bundle up truck driver Rajinder Singh and drove him to a hospital in Newark (she also said Singh gave her phone numbers of family members to call). Singh, a Queens resident, is currently in critical condition after suffering second- and third-degree burns.

Two incidents of people trying to stop others from harassing or beating people have had some violent consequences.

A 29-year-old woman scheduled to testify in a kidnapping case today was possibly thrown from a Harlem building yesterday morning. Joy Blackman, who was a witness to a kidnapping and was also a witness against her accused rapist in a separate case, was found dead in an alleyway at 145 West 145th Street.

A New York State senator is proposing a law that makes criminals legally responsible for the inadvertent harm to helpful bystanders who might come to the aid of a person under attack. The proposal comes in the wake of the death of Flonarza Byas, who may have been killed by Maurice Parks while he was defending himself during a robbery.

Transit police officer Gregory Chin is being hailed as a hero for stopping a crazed man who had just stabbed two people in Murray Hill from inflicting more violence. The Post and Daily News interviewed Chin, who was off-duty when he saw Lee Coleman attacking 67-year-old Susan Barron with a variety of knives (knives that Coleman stole from a restaurant) on Saturday morning.

A driver, either "emotionally disturbed" or simply drunk, caused a crazy, violent scene yesterday in Ozone Park, Queens. Fifty-year-old Joseph Leonardi had been driving the wrong way on 83rd Street, when his car "hopped onto the sidewalk," according to the Sun. The car was headed towards Sister Hannah Marie Cox, but a Good Samaritan Juan Valez pushed her away and the Buick hit a tree and a building. Leonardi got out of car and ran for six blocks, with people chasing him. But then Leonardi threatened them with a huge knife.

Hoorah! The Brooklyn Paper reports that 94 year old Dominick Diomede has found a new home. Diomede was evicted by his Carroll Gardens landlord, because he didn't have a lease - he had been living there for two decades, based on the verbal agreement he had with the previous owner. Now, Diomede will move into one of non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee's subsidized apartments on Warren Street. A Good Samaritan stepped in with $2,000 for another month's rent at Diomede's current Luquer Street apartment when the story broke in The Brooklyn Paper, as there were fears the 94 year old would live in his car; the Samaritan said he wanted Diomede "to keep whatever dignity he can." And the senior received many offers for free moving, so we have a feeling the transition moving from his home of 20 years will be a little easier.

We'd like to take a moment to talk about the High Entrance Exit Turnstile (HEET) at many subway stations. A friend was telling us how he was fined for allowing another straphanger enter the station with him. Our friend wasn't trying to deliberately flout the law - he thought he was being a Good Samaritan because the straphanger had just swiped through, but accidentally turned the turnstile from one behind where you're supposed to, so he was out of luck on his unlimited ride Metrocard, thanks to the 15 waiting period before using it again. Now, this is something Gothamist sees at least once a day - some more, unsuspecting person doesn't realize that when you use a HEET, you need to be right inside in order to get to the other side. So, our friend let the poor chap enter the station with him on his card - only for a cop to ticket him. D'oh!