No Help for Hit and Run Victim

Angel Arce Torres, 78, of Hartford, Conn. was returning home at about 5:45pm from the local grocery store when he was hit by a dark Honda that was chasing a tan Toyota. Even though many people saw the accident no one, not even the pedestrians nor motorists stopped to offer Angel any assistance. The entire incident was captured by a nearby traffic camera. In an effort to identify the drivers of either the Honda or the Toyota , the Hartford police have released a copy of the video. Police Chief Daryl Roberts said the video shows a city that has lost its moral compass.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=eeZpdO44frc]

"At the end of the day we've got to look at ourselves and understand that our moral values have now changed." Police Chief Daryl Roberts said. "We have no regard for each other."

Torres is paralyzed and remains in critical condition in Hartford Hospital. His son, Angel Arce, begged the public for help. "My father is fighting for his life," Arce said. "I would like the public right now to help us in identifying the car and the person that did this."

Witness Bryant Hayre said he didn't feel comfortable helping Torres, who he said was bleeding and conscious.

"Whoever did this should be sent away for a long time," Hayre told The Hartford Courant. "It was as if he was a dog left in the street to die."

However, Roberts and other city officials backtracked on Thursday. After initially saying he was unsure whether anyone called 911, he and other city officials appeared at a news conference in which they said that four people dialed 911 within a minute of the accident, and that Torres received medical attention shortly after that.

City Council President Calixto Torres said viewers of the 1 1/2-minute videotape might mistakenly believe that no one helped.

"I think this moved too quickly," he said. "I think it moved too quick and we were putting information out that was incomplete. What I think was missing is the fact that this happened in a very short period of time."

Roberts said his initial angry reaction was based on what he saw in the video. "The video was very graphic and sent a very bad message," the police chief said.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell on Friday offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the motorists involved in the accident.