Three Cheers for Helpful Bystanders
You can easily get the feeling that, these days, everyone is too busy posting selfies online, scrolling through clickbait videos, or conversing with AI chatbots to bother noticing that anyone else could use their help, but every so often, people show their best side just when someone else needs them the most. In October 2025, two cars collided on Barbour Street in Haledon. The driver of one of the cars was trapped inside, so four men who were passing by stopped their car to help him get out of his vehicle safely. As soon as the driver and the bystanders who had assisted him made it to the sidewalk, the car was engulfed in flames. Two of the men who stopped to help the trapped driver were local public figures, namely District 35 Assemblyman Al Abdelaziz and his son, Police Sergeant Semir Celoski. If the helpful neighbors had arrived just a few seconds later, the outcome could have been a lot worse. As it stands, the rescued man’s injuries were not life-threatening. Even if the accident is not as devastating as this one, the helpful bystanders are not as accomplished, and the story is not as dramatic, witnesses can be an important part of your path to physical and financial recovery after a car accident. If you got injured in a car accident where a vehicle caught on fire, contact a Pennsylvania and New Jersey auto accident lawyer.
How Witnesses Can Help You in Your Car Accident Case
Car accident insurance claims can go on for weeks, or even months. The claims adjusters might call you multiple times, and after you get the settlement offer, you might need some time to think about whether to accept it, and you might even negotiate for a better settlement. Despite this, the first few minutes after the accident are the most important in determining the outcome of your case.
You should take pictures and videos of the vehicle damage, the road conditions, and if applicable, your injuries. Of course, people who have just been involved in car accidents are not the best photographers, nor do they give the best narrative descriptions of what happened just before, during, and after the accident.
This is where witnesses who were nearby when the accident happened can be helpful. They can take photos and videos to show aspects of the accident that your own phone and your own memory cannot provide. They can also give statements to the police when they are writing a police report. It is a good idea to ask witnesses who saw the accident for their contact information. This way, you can use their statements and their phone pictures to support your claim and get an adequate insurance payout.
Contact Monaco Law About Car Accidents
Contact Monaco Law PC in Marlton, New Jersey to discuss your car accident case. Joseph Monaco is a New Jersey personal injury lawyer serving Atlantic County, Burlington County, Cape May County, Camden County, Cumberland County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Ocean County, Salem County and all of New Jersey.
Source:
patch.com/new-jersey/wayne/duty-cop-assemblyman-rescue-north-jersey-crash-victim
