Man Who Tried Aiding Hit-and-Run Victim Wonders Why Others Didn't

'It Was Absurd, Man'

Jaber immediately swung his SUV around to block as much traffic in both directions along 159th Street, hoping to protect Shah from further injury. He then called 911 and got out to see how severely Shah was injured. He told his nephew to stay in the SUV.

"I didn't want him to see that," Jaber said.

On the street, Jaber, who was still on the phone with 911, frantically tried to wave down other drivers and at least direct traffic away from Shah. Eventually, an off-duty Illinois State Police officer driving a black Acura RL stopped, flashed his badge and then started life-saving procedures to try to revive Shah, Jaber said.

Jaber continued to inform police over the phone while making sure another accident was avoided. Recounting the chaos almost two days later, he's as shocked by the actions—or more appropriately, the inaction—of other drivers as he was about seeing a hit-and-run victim in the middle of the road.

"There were onlookers, people who were looking and driving off," he said. "I was yelling and screaming. … It was absurd, man. People just driving by. … [They] would just see the body and keep going or make a U-Turn."

Police arrived in about four or five minutes, but it was too late for Shah, Jaber said, adding he believes Shah died instantly on impact with the pickup truck (he was pronounced dead at Palos Community Hospital, according to Tinley Park police). He stayed at the scene for around an hour, and investigators took his statement.

A few hours later, a little after midnight, he returned to the intersection to ask the officers who were still there if Shah had survived and if the driver who hit him had been apprehended. No, unfortunately, was the answer to both of his questions. (Since then, Tinley Park police have a "person of interest" in custody, but he has not been charged as of Friday night.)

Was Fear the Reason They Drove On?

The events of Wednesday night remain fresh in Jaber's mind and have weighed on him in the past 36 or so hours since it happened. He half-jokes that when you're born and bred in New York City—he's only lived in the south suburbs for two years and a month—you come to expect these sorts of things.

But Jaber, a computer and cell phone technician who works in Chicago, admits to never seeing or experiencing anything like what happened Wednesday. He wasn't numb to the sight of Shah's broken body sprawled on the asphalt. And he keeps questioning how passersby could ignore helping someone clearly in need. The only explanation he can muster is fear. Fear of being blamed for causing the accident. Fear of the situation itself.

"Yeah, people come and people go, but the way he died and the way people drove off …" Jaber said. "I don't know how many people had driven by before. How come nobody's on the phone? How come nobody's trying to give CPR?"

"It's a sad situation, honestly," he added. "I've never been put in this type of situation. If this ever happened to me or my relatives, I'd like someone to do the same."

Family Values His Humane Act

That empathy also led to Jaber speaking with members of Shah's family in India. He contacted one of Shah's sons through an email address posted in the comments section of Patch's article on the incident. That son called Friday morning, and the two have exchanged several emails. The family was looking for any information concerning the tragedy and wanted to make sure Shah didn't suffer, Jaber said.

"It was very sad and touching," he said. "[The son] offered me a thank you and wanted to show his appreciation. I told him I didn't do this for any reward."