DUNEDIN, Fla. -- A Pinellas County man says he's very thankful for his quick reaction after a pedestrian jumped in front of his car. All of it was caught on his dashcam.
Jason Hewitt was driving his son home on Thursday night when something very scary happened.
"The guy was in the bike lane, and with about a second or two warning the guy jumped into my lane," said Hewitt.
The dashcam shows a man with dark clothing, who is nearly invisible in the dark, lunge in front of Hewitt's car.
Hewitt swerves into the left lane narrowly missing the person.
Hewitt says the person then tried to jump in front of the cars behind him.
"It's terrifying to imagine the kind of pain or emotion or anger that something is going through," said Hewitt.
Hewitt says he stopped and called police but they couldn’t find the person. It happened around 10:20 p.m. on Keene Road near Main Street in Dunedin.
Hewitt says he’s so thankful for his "less-than-$40 dashcam."
"If I had happened to hit this guy, beyond the psychological and emotional impact, the fact that I would potentially be liable; I can’t even imagine that, so I’m glad that I have that silent witness that depicts exactly what happened," said Hewitt.
Insurance agent Trace Meek, president of Meek Insurance Agency, says having a dashcam, especially in a state with as many traffic accidents as Florida, is a good idea.
"They’re pretty inexpensive and they’re perfect to hand to a claims adjuster and say here’s what happened," said Meek.
Hewitt says this is another reminder for him of why he has a dashcam and why it's so important to always keep your eyes on the road.
"I could very easily have been distracted in that moment and this outcome would be totally different," said Hewitt.
