Tuesday, April 26, 2011
By Nick Schneider, Assisant Editor
A rural Worthington man says he’s lucky he wasn’t hurt when a Good Samaritan act almost turned really bad.
Edward Mullis had stopped to help a stranded motorist at State Road 54 and 6th Street NE in Linton at 1:15 a.m. and ended up having his car hit by a driver, who did not have the courtesy to stop, according to a report filed by Linton Police Department officer Debbie McDonald.
Mullis said he saw a stranded motorist, who apparently had their car “drowned out” in a heavy rain storm in the turn lane on State Road 54 — near the intersection with NE 6th Street.
It was early in the morning and he figured the man needed some help.
He actually saw the man stalled out and figured someone would help him out so he proceeded to the store to pick up some items.
On his return trip back, he noticed the car of the man still sitting there in the roadway, so he stopped.
Both vehicles had their flasher lights on.
Mullis said he attempted unsuccessfully to get the flooded engine started. As he was talking with the man, a blue-colored Chevrolet 4 x 4 truck with large tires slammed into driver side door of Mullis’ 1994 Ford Ranger truck.
The vehicle also did not have a light on his license plate.
“He was actually slowing down and then all of sudden he gunned it and about hit the boy and his truck. He swerved back and hit my truck. My finance’ was in it and it about scared her to death,” Mullis said. “I yelled at him to stop and he just kept going eastbound.”
Mullis told the Greene County Daily World that he would love to have the identity of the driver in this hit-and-run case.
His truck sustained an estimated at least $2,000 in damage to the door, fender and bumper on the driver’s side.
“I’ve got the color of his truck on my vehicle,” Mullis said. “It’s a different kind of blue … I’d know the truck if I would see it again.”
Mullis admits that he was lucky he or the distressed driver weren’t hurt.
“He about hit that boy. It was close,” Mullis stressed.
When asked if he would help anyone else in similar situation, Mullis quickly replied, “Sure, if someone is in distress, I’m there as long as they need help.”
If anyone has information about this incident, contact the Linton Police Department at 847-4411 or call Mullis at (812) 272-7263.
“I would be grateful if anyone knows any information to give me lead so I can give the police a lead as well,” he stressed.
http://gcdailyworld.com/story/1721875.html