Good Samaritan Injured When He's Run Over By Car Driven By Alleged Attacker
HAWTHORNE (CBSLA.com) — A Good Samaritan was run over by a car Saturday allegedly driven by a man he said was physically assaulting a woman outside Holly Glen Park in Hawthorne.
Matthew Covington told CBS2's Jeff Nguyen, "I have a 3 inch gash on the top of my head."
Many people would call Covington a hero -- for breaking up the fight around midnight.
But when he looks in the mirror and sees a myriad of scrapes, lacerations and bruises, he sees nothing but the scars. "I'm really self-conscious about it. To me, it seems like I look scary."
Covington, 23, says after he broke up the fight, the man got in his vehicle and ran him over. As surprising as that was, Covington was also shocked by the behavior of the woman allegedly getting beaten up. "I'm pretty mad," Covington says, "even the female was like, 'This isn't your business. You need to get out of here.'"
The Good Samaritan says he was about to get into his own car when the suspect revved his engine and drove right at him.
He managed to dodge the first attempt, but says the man went down the street, flipped a U-turn and then came back a second time and struck him. "I was on the hood for about 150 to 180 feet. And he made a left hand turn I rolled off the left side of the car."
From there he was run over by the car -- the vehicle left tire marks across his stomach.
Police say the impact caused a part of the car to break off. Lt. Scott Swain of the Hawthorne Police Department said, "When they struck the victim, the grill to the vehicle was left behind."
Detectives believe the suspect's car is a 1999 or 2000 Ford Crown Victoria. The vehicle is a dark aqua green color with front-end damage and a missing grill. Officials said the car may have been a retired taxi.
Authorities are hoping someone in the public will give them a tip -- especially after seeing Covington's injuries.
Said the Good Samaritan, "It's very sad I tried to help somebody and as a result of that I had to suffer."
He told Nguyen that while he didn't suffer any broken bones, it has broken his spirit and his desire to help others in the future.
