Good Samaritan Jayan Patel Killed in Mobile Hit-and-Run While Helping Rollover Driver

MOBILE, Ala. — A 45-year-old man who pulled over to help a driver after a rollover crash in Mobile on Saturday night was struck and killed by a passing vehicle whose driver did not stop, according to the Mobile Police Department. Police are now trying to find the driver responsible for the fatal Mobile hit-and-run.

Police identified the man as Jayan Mehul Patel. He had left his own vehicle to help the driver of a car that had overturned near the Interstate 10 exit ramp at U.S. 90 when he was hit. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver of the vehicle that hit Patel left the scene, police said. The department has called the case an active investigation and has released no description of that driver or vehicle.

What police say happened

Mobile police officers and Mobile Fire-Rescue Department crews were called at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, to a crash involving several vehicles where the I-10 exit ramp meets U.S. 90. One of the vehicles had flipped and was resting on its roof.

Investigators pieced together the sequence this way:

• A driver lost control of a vehicle, which left the roadway and continued onto U.S. 90.
• That vehicle hit a guardrail and then flipped over.
• Two other motorists stopped to help the driver, who appeared to have only minor injuries.
• While they were helping, another vehicle came by and hit the two stopped vehicles.
• Patel was outside his own vehicle, helping the driver of the overturned car, when the passing vehicle hit him.
• The driver of that passing vehicle left the scene.

When officers arrived, they found Patel lying in the roadway with life-threatening injuries.

Police have not said whether anyone else was hurt when the stopped vehicles were hit, what caused the first driver to lose control, or how fast the passing vehicle was going. They also have not said whether the driver of the overturned vehicle will face any charges. Those details may come out as the investigation goes on.

A stranger who stopped to help

Police have not released Patel’s hometown or any other personal details, and his family had not spoken publicly as of Tuesday. Based on what investigators have shared, his last act was to stop for a stranger. He saw a car on its roof late on a Saturday night, got out and went to check on the person inside.

Patel was one of two motorists who stopped. The driver they were helping had apparently survived the rollover with minor injuries. The danger came from the traffic still moving past.

A weekend after the storm

The crash came about a day after Hurricane Isaias moved through the region. The storm made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday night, Oct. 9, as a Category 2 hurricane and swept north across Alabama, bringing downed trees, power outages and dark traffic signals to parts of Mobile and Baldwin counties. The City of Mobile’s overnight curfew ended at 6 a.m. Saturday, and roads across the area reopened through the day as cleanup began.

Police have not said whether storm conditions, debris or lighting played any role in Saturday night’s crashes, and nothing they have released links the crash to the hurricane.

Why roadside help can be so dangerous

Saturday’s crash shows a risk that police officers, firefighters, tow operators and road crews know well: a crash scene stays dangerous after the first impact is over. People standing next to wrecked cars, often in the dark and close to moving lanes, have little protection from drivers who are distracted, impaired, going too fast or simply don’t see what’s ahead in time.

Safety advocates and first responders generally give drivers who come upon a crash the same advice:

• Call 911 first. Give the dispatcher the exact location, including the road, direction of travel and nearest exit or cross street.
• Park well away from traffic if you decide to stop. Pull fully off the road where you can, and turn on your hazard lights.
• Watch the traffic before you get out of your vehicle, and stay off the travel lanes as much as you can.
• Make yourself visible. Use a flashlight or phone light at night, and wear light-colored or reflective clothing if you have it.
• Don’t move an injured person unless they are in immediate danger, such as from fire. Let trained responders handle it when they arrive.

For drivers going past a crash, the advice is simpler: slow down, move over if it’s safe, and watch for people on foot. Alabama’s Move Over law requires drivers to change lanes or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles, tow trucks and certain other vehicles with flashing lights. Common sense says to give the same room to any stopped car and anyone standing near it.

What Alabama law requires after a crash

Under Alabama law, a driver involved in a crash that injures or kills someone must stop at the scene or as close to it as possible, give their name, address and vehicle registration, and provide reasonable help to anyone injured, including arranging medical care. Leaving the scene of a crash that involves death or personal injury is a Class C felony in Alabama, which carries a possible prison sentence of one to 10 years.

Police have not identified the driver who left the scene or said whether they have any leads. No one has been charged.

How hit-and-run investigations work

When a driver leaves the scene of a deadly crash, detectives usually rely on physical evidence and the public. Broken parts left at the scene, such as pieces of headlights, trim or mirrors, can sometimes help narrow down a vehicle’s make, model and color. Investigators may also look for video from businesses, traffic cameras or other drivers’ dash cameras near the crash site, and they talk with the people who stopped to help.

Tips from the public often matter. Someone might notice fresh front-end damage on a neighbor’s or coworker’s car, a vehicle suddenly dropped off at a body shop, or a person who has started talking about a wreck.

How to help investigators

Anyone who was near the I-10 exit ramp and U.S. 90 around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, or who has dash camera video, photos or other information about the crash, is asked to contact the Mobile Police Department. Tips can be given by calling 251-208-7211, or an anonymous tip can be texted to 844-251-0644.

Police have said the investigation is active. This story will be updated if more information is released.