Man dies in heroic attempt to save $52.00

[WickedTemptress]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/22/gas.theft.ap/index.html

FORT PAYNE, Alabama (AP) -- A gas station owner was run over and killed when he tried to stop a driver from leaving without paying for $52 worth of gasoline, police said.

The driver had not been apprehended Sunday, and police Chief David Walker said the case was being investigated as a robbery-homicide.

Witnesses told police that Husain Caddi, owner of Fort Payne Texaco, "grabbed onto the vehicle" Friday when the driver began to drive off.

Caddi was dragged across the parking lot and onto a highway, where he fell to the pavement and was run over by the late model sport utility vehicle's rear wheel, Walker said.

"Other vehicles were leaving the station's lot and there was a great deal of traffic on the roadway near the station at the time," Walker said.

Caddi, 54, later died at a hospital, Walker said.

Police said the driver was in his 20s or 30s.

Gas prices have surged to a nationwide average of $2.55 a gallon.

[Bhelliom]

darwin award

[WickedTemptress]

Trying to stop someone before taking off with stolen gas is one thing, grabbing onto a car as it's trying to speed away... Yeah, I don't know that I'd go that far.

My brother use to work at a gas station when he was much younger, so, I know that they make the employee pay for whatever gas is stolen while they're on the job... But, I think in this case he should have used a little more judgement and tried to copy the license plate number or something else to catch this person.

[Bhelliom]

There is no job in the world that could pay me enough to risk my life over 50 bucks

[Steady]

There is no job in the world that could pay me enough to risk my life over 50 bucks


I agree with you 100%...No job is worth it...keep in mind, it was this
mans livelihood. When you own something, we have a tendancy to do
stupid thing to protect what is ours.

If I was the store clerk, I could care less...it's not my gas.

[Bhelliom]

true enough... but still.... One always needs to choose one's battles. In business or play.

[nofx]

mofo could have bought an 1/8th with that money

[MorganGrayson]

Unfortunately, "automatic reactions" cause one to do things that would never occur if one had time to actually think.

I did a very stupid thing once involving my car, an incline, and getting out of it in an emergency without taking it out of gear. Luckily, all I got was a couple of pulled muscles. It could have been a great deal worse. I was so focused on the first emergency that I didn't realize I was creating a simultaneous second one.

What happened to that poor man is horrible, but my stupid moment makes me understand it.

[Sin]

There was a similar case around here not all that long ago...

"A young gas station attendant in suburban Vancouver was brutally killed by two teenagers, who ran over him and dragged his body for over seven km when he asked them to pay up $12.30.

Grant De Patie, 24, was killed earlier this week while at work at an Esso station run by an Indo-Canadian businessman in the suburb of Maple Ridge, the South Asian Observer reported.

The two teenagers, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old whose names have not been released, have been arrested. Police said they were familiar with the elder of the duo.

According to police, the incident took place when a stolen white 1990 Chrysler LeBaron pulled into the station shortly after midnight. The teenage driver put $12.30 worth of unleaded gasoline into the car and began to leave without paying. De Patie put himself in front of the car and refused to move until the driver paid up.

A police statement said the driver ran over De Patie and dragged his body under the car over a circuitous 7.5 km route. The lifeless body was finally dislodged from under the car in Albion."

That was in March of this year... it makes me sick to think of the heartlessness it would take to run directly over a man standing facing your car...

Despite their grief and shock, the De Paties say they have empathy for the teenager accused of killing their son.

"You can't point a finger at this child. He's the product of the community and of neglect," said Doug De Patie.

The community can no longer turn a blind eye to young people who steal cars or engage in other criminal behaviour, added De Patie.