Ont. van crash responder appalled by gawkers

One of the first peopleonthe scene of thecrash that killed 11 people in Hampstead, Ont., on Monday says heis appalled by passersby who gathered at the scene only to record the carnage on their phones.

Rick Sherwood, 45, wasdriving behindthe truck that collided with a van carrying 13 migrant workers. Ten of the migrant workers were killed, while the truck's driver also died.

Sherwood, who has first aid training,helped pull the three survivors from the twisted wreckage of the van. As emergency workers arrived,he gave way.

It was only then that he noticed a handful of people gathered around the scene,recording theaftermath or taking photos with their phones.

Sherwoodsaid it took a moment to realize what was happening.

"What's going through these people's minds? People have lost their lives here. People are trying to cling onto life here, and what could be the possible benefit to recording this?"

Sherwood said he knows not everyone can help, but was appalled by what he saw and felt bad for the victims.

"These people, that decency was robbed from them," he said. "They've never had the choice to say put me on Facebook, put me on YouTube, keep me asa souvenir."

Craig Calver, aparamedic who wasat the scene Monday, saidthe decisionof a passerby tostopat an accident depends on how preparedhe or she is to deal with a crisis situation.

Calver said a person with training can be a help.

"If you're the first person there and that person is in danger where they are and you can help them in some way, then that's a personal decision that you have to make," he said.

Passersby recording crash sites 'almost expected'

Calver said he's accustomed to peoplerubbernecking at accident scenes.

"It's kind of a rare occasion now when something doesn't get caught on film and it's almost expected," he said.

He urged people to consider the feelings of the victims.

"How would you want someone to react if you were that person?" he said.

Meanwhile, one of the threemigrant workerswho survived the crash is said to be improving.

Juan Ariza's condition has been upgraded to stable, after he was originallytaken to Stratford General Hospital in critical condition.

The 35-year-old Ariza, who has a wife and a six-year-oldchild in Peru, has been transferred to a London hospital.

Edgar Sulla-Puma, 26,and Abetardo Alba-Medina, 38, remain in critical and stable condition, respectively.

The funeral for the 38-year-old truck driver killed in the crash, Christopher Fulton,will be held Saturday in London.