ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI — A man lost his life after being shot by the person he just helped get out of a wrecked vehicle after a crash. That in itself seems bizarre, but it gets even more strange as we dig in.
Staveion Durham was riding a motorized scooter near the intersection of Riverview and Switzer on the evening of October 12 when he ran out of gas. Staveion saw a vehicle crash into another vehicle at that intersection and then slam into a pole.
Staveion felt compelled to run over and help, according to his father. It turned out to be a bad move.
Durham’s father, Stacy, said Staveoin pulled a 25-year-old man from the crashed vehicle, and when he did, the man pulled a gun on Staveion. At that time, Staveion’s girlfriend and friend had arrived to take him to get gas.
The friend of Staveion helped get the man who just pulled the gun under control and was able to take the gun. The man, however, had a second gun with him.
Staveion’s friend, after seeing the second gun, started shooting at the man. The two exchanged gunfire and the friend fled.
Then, the armed man shot Staveion, who is father says was unarmed.
Staveion was taken to the hospital but died from his injuries.
The man who shot him was also taken to the hospital for minor injuries and then released.
Yes, you read that correctly. The man who pulled the gun on Staveion after the car accident, and after Staveion helped him out of the crashed vehicle, is so far not facing any charges.
Investigators with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said they believe the shooting is self-defense and justified. Stacy said the self-defense claim works against Staveion’s friend who started the shooting but not for Staveion.
Ok, I need clarification. Another news story tells us:
Officers arrived to the area of Riverview and Switzer just before 11 p.m. for a report of an accident. Once they arrived, they found 27-year-old Staveion Durham shot in the chest and hand and a 25-year-old man injured from the crash.
Police learned Durham and the 25-year-old got into a shootout with an unidentified man who they had got into an accident with.
Either Staveion was aggressive towards the injured motorist, or the injured motorist thought that Staveion was going to cause him harm for some other reason. Those pieces are not clear, which makes this story a little strange.
Or maybe I’m reading too far into it.
Either way, let’s take two things away from this incident:
- If the driver were a lawful concealed carrier, be mindful of the people around you after an accident. The other party could very well be angry and come into your world with violence. Also be mindful that you may be foggy after an accident, so try and get a solid grasp on what’s happening around you as soon as you’re able.
- If you’re a person like Staveion, assuming you’re there to try and help, pay attention as well to what’s happening and if something doesn’t seem right, your duty is to yourself and you should be getting away from any danger.
What a story.
